A Bit of Bad Luck
by ShinzuiOfIncantation
Summary: Link isn't prepared for what happens in the Temple of Time, it causes a certain chain of events to unfold and puts him in a land he's not familiar with. Now he has to find his way back before it's too late. Rated M for the yaoi that will come way later.
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N)** I've been in a Legend of Zelda mood for a while now. That's why I haven't been working on my Final Fantasy story very much. But I haven't abandoned it. I know where it's going. I just don't feel like writing it right now. But I've had the idea for this story for a while now and never really got around to starting it. I wasn't even going to write it at all but I told my friend about it and she said to go for it and that she'd read it. She also said she'd like to read a story where Link turns evil and joins up with Ganondorf. (Disturbing right?) But I'm not gonna right that one. Not that I could. I like happy endings too much. Sad endings where the evil guy wins make me feel angry. Anyway! I'm not saying that this could happen. I'm not ignorant to all things in the LoZ universe. Like everything else fan based I do, I research things thoroughly beforehand. It's just a story that I'm hoping people will like.

The Nexus

_When all was chaos, the goddesses descended and gave order and life to the world. They granted power equally to all who dwelt in the light, and then returned to the heavens. The lands where the goddesses descended came to be known as the Sacred Realm. It was in the Sacred Realm that the three goddesses left behind a symbol of their power, the all-powerful relic known as the Triforce, which when mastered in its entirety would grant the heart's desire of its holder. For ages people lived at ease, content in mind and body… But soon, word of the Sacred Realm spread through Hyrule, and a great battle ensued… _

Now Link sat in the Sacred Grove before a strange stone door. The Hylian writing at the base of it read _"Time Door"._ Or at least that's what he thought it said. The door itself was very old and weathered. He had to scrape off some of the moss growing over it just to make out _"Tiae Zcor"_. Some of the letters hade been chipped away in places that made it look like nonsense. But it wasn't too hard to figure out what it should've been and correct it.

Now he was relaxing a bit before entering. Just a moment ago he had to fight five Shadow Beasts sent by Zant to stop him. The Shadow Beasts weren't something he had trouble dealing with however; Zant would have to think of a new trick if he really wanted to end his quest. Otherwise he was out of luck. Link could handle almost anything Zant could throw at him by now. And nothing was going to prevent him from collecting the fragments to make the Mirror of Twilight. Zant would be very sorry that he'd caused all this trouble; he'd make sure of that. The only thing that was troubling Link at the moment was what the Sages had told him at Arbiter's Grounds. Now this guy called Ganondorf was in the picture and apparently he'd been pulling the strings all along. And Midna could tell it was bothering him.

"I'm sure this Ganondorf guy isn't as powerful as they say." She said as an attempt of reassurance.

"He possesses the Triforce of **Power**, Midna." Link sighed. "He became renowned as a ruthless demon thief. The sages couldn't kill him. I am unsure of myself-"

"Don't be. It can't be too hard. I know you can do it." She had to say, even though she didn't fully believe it herself. Link was at a level where Zant couldn't bother him but just how much of this guy's power did he have? If Midna had to guess, it wasn't much. That could only mean that Ganondorf was twice as bad at the very least.

"I am filled with doubt but you don't have to worry. I won't give up. I'm the only one who can fight him, right? Why else was I born with this mark on my left hand?" He said removing his glove to stare at the triangles on the back of his hand; the one on the bottom right was darker than the other two, signifying that he possessed the Triforce of Courage. "It's funny." He replaced his glove and stood up. "Most people would be upset about this."

"Upset about what?" Midna asked as she followed him to the door.

"Well I was born with the crest of the Goddesses. That means my fate had already been decided for me. Most people, of my age especially, would be very put out or angry. But I'm… indifferent." He answered pushing on the door.

It wouldn't budge. He leaned in closer and pushed harder; it was an old door after all, it might've been stuck. He heard something shift causing some small rocks and dirt to fall down onto his head. But that wasn't the biggest surprise. Even though he'd pushed it, the door opened outward and hit his forehead before pushing him over.

"Ow…"

"Link! Are you alright?" Midna gasped as she floated down next to him to look. "It's not bleeding."

"I must be okay then." He answered getting back up.

"Are you sure you'll be alright? Does your head ache?"

"No. But I feel a bruise coming on." He laughed. "I'll be fine."

She looked at him a bit skeptically at first before nodding and returning to his shadow. She couldn't look at that cute little smile of his for long. Something had happened after they'd returned from the Lakebed Temple. Before he was nothing more than a pawn in her plan to overthrow Zant. Now he was endearing and she had to wonder if he'd always been or if she'd only just started to see it. She couldn't remember him ever getting short with her. Not even when she'd verbally abused him practically on a daily basis. Strange feelings form when a man does all he can to save your life but she hadn't gone that far yet. He only saw her as a close friend. She'd gathered that in some conversations they'd had and she could live with that. She'd have to. They came from different worlds; she couldn't allow herself _those_ kinds of feelings. Not to mention the state she was currently in. Who could love an imp?

Link brushed himself off and looked back at the now open door. Everything looked grey and it was rippling like water. He stepped closer and poked it a few times. It didn't feel like water. And it didn't feel dangerous. He backed up and looked at the wrecked stone wall in front of the pedestal that had held the master sword. Then he looked back at the image in the doorway. It was the same wall but it looked new. And he couldn't see the forest at all. The building that once stood there was whole again. Cautiously, he walked through and kept an eye on his surroundings.

When he stepped inside he got a bit of a lightheaded feeling that quickly passed. The door shut behind him but he didn't worry. It looked as though it would open again. "This is… the past?" He asked aloud and though he didn't really expect an answer his shadow spun around and Midna sprang up in front of him. She looked a little concerned about something. "What is it?"

"Something doesn't feel right." She answered. "I know there has always been an evil presence in all the other temples but this one feels different. It feels more… just be careful."

"Of course Midna but do you see this place? It's so brilliant!"

"Link, I'm serious. Don't get too distracted by it. There's something here that shouldn't be." She said taking hold of his arm.

"I understand Midna. But you don't have to worry about me. I don't plan on dying here." He smiled.

"Alright." She let go of his arm but she didn't disappear. She wanted to be sure he didn't get too distracted and keep an eye out for danger. She was the only one he had to watch his back.

The fact that she didn't recede back into his shadow confused Link. She usually didn't stick around for long after putting in her two cents. _'This __**must**__ be serious.'_ He thought as he continued on. _'If she's really that concerned I suppose I should be wary of everything in here.'_ But those thoughts were pushed back by the splendor of the temple once again. He couldn't help it. How many people could say they'd gone back in time? None that he knew. The building was so impressive. Not to say that the others he'd visited were dwarfed by it but they were usually dark and smelled of the many monsters inside. This one, however, was different from what he could see. It had many tall windows that let in the sun and the air was, admittedly a little musty, but it was so much better in comparison.

The room he was currently in was very bright due to the sunlight on the light tiles on the floor. And he was walking down the staircase that had been destroyed in his time. It led down to a rather large circular mark on the floor. The circle contained some sort of pattern but it looked like it was covered by a square with the symbol of the Triforce inside. He stepped into the middle of the three triangles and looked at the other two circles on the floor. They were still big but not quite as big as the one he was standing in and had the two stone guardians on top of them. He walked by them slowly but they didn't move. That was good. He hated their puzzle when he was a wolf.

"Doesn't the sunlight make this place feel welcoming?" He said with the sound of appreciation in his voice. "It feels so warm in here."

Midna didn't respond. She was too busy looking around at everything with suspicion.

Link looked the room over as well but not out of paranoia. He was just taking one last look before entering the next room. Once he was finished he turned and walked through the open doorway quickly. It took Midna a few moments to realize he had gone. And with a bit of a gasp she hurried after him through the door.

On the other side, Link had stopped and was staring again. He only noticed Midna was there when she bumped into the shield on his back.

"Are you hurt?" He asked watching her float back up to his level. She shook her head. "Look at this." He said gesturing and looking back at the new room. "Have you ever seen anything like it?"

It was the area where he'd first retrieved the Master Sword from its pedestal. But in this time it was just as beautiful as the previous room. Perhaps even more so. It had the same tiling and the sun shown through a skylight. But the most notable thing was the huge stained-glass windows surrounding it. The way the sun made the colors of the panes reflect onto the floor was something Link had never seen before. It was a sight that almost made his jaw drop. He stood there for a good two minutes before Midna gave him a gentle push forward.

Nodding, he walked up the steps to the pedestal and drew the Master Sword. Since the pedestal had so many other uses prior to this moment, striking it once more couldn't hurt. He gripped the hilt firmly with both hands and held it above him with the blade pointed down. After taking a moment to line it up he plunged the sword down with all his strength; the blade began to glow, showing him that his instinct had been correct. And a transparent stairway spread down to the floor behind the light that traveled upward into one of the glass windows.

"Midna…" Link said looking for her. "Did you see that?"

"Yes." She answered staring up at the window the stairs led to. Her bad feeling was getting worse. "Link. I think we should turn back." She said floating back towards the exit.

"I can't do that."

"This is too much for you. You're not ready for this yet." She argued.

"We **need** this piece of the mirror." Was all he said before heading up the stairs.

Midna thought for a moment before rushing after him. "Wait! At least don't go alone!" She called so he would stop and she could catch up. "You can try to find the mirror. But if it's too much do what you can to stay alive."

"It can't be that bad, can it?" Link looked confused. "Why would there be something so out of my league in here? That's not how all the other temples worked."

"I know. I told you it felt wrong. This thing is misplaced. I don't know how it got in here but it's there. I really think you should turn back."

"You already know my answer to that." He answered continuing up the stairs. Once he got past a certain point the glass window vanished and revealed a door. It was then that he started to feel something was amiss. But he ignored it and entered the temple nonetheless.

He came to what appeared to be the main room. It looked very similar to the previous ones in color but he couldn't tell where the light was coming from. Directly across the room from him was a large door that looked as though it wouldn't open. He took note of the solo statue to one side of the door. That had to mean that there was another one somewhere in the temple to go on the other side. He'd probably have to find it and bring it back somehow before the door would open. The next thing he noticed was a large stone canopy in the center of the room; although it actually looked more like a gazebo of some sort. It was held up by four stone pillars and contained an engraved brass device that resembled a bell.

"What do you think that is?" Link asked while walking up to it. He stepped underneath it and looked up inside only to find that it wasn't a bell. "It must serve for some other purpose then…"

"Get out of there!" Midna scolded pushing him to make him walk back out. "I told you to be careful."

"I was."

"What would you have done if that thing had fallen on you?" She asked.

"It wouldn't have hurt me. It's hollow on the inside." Link answered.

"Yes, but you would've been stuck in there and eventually ran out of oxygen."

"I figured you would've lifted it before that happened." Link shrugged. He began the first task of making the stairs reachable with the pressing of a button. "We're off to a good start." He said all but running up the stairs. "Let's hurry through this."

Link made his way through the temple finding no monster that was exceptionally strong. He'd made it to the room where the matching statue resided and earned the tool to move it with. The Darknut wasn't something he'd ever fought before but it wasn't out of his league. So now, with the help of the Dominion Rod, he was headed back to the main room with the statue in tow. Not soon after starting on his way back he stopped.

"What's the matter?" Midna asked.

"I just realized how I can get back to the main room without fighting any enemies." Link answered releasing the magic currently on the statue and standing behind it.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm getting a much more effective shield." He said bringing the statue to life in front of him. "Now I'll be able to kill all of those Gohmas so much quicker." He didn't have a problem with them himself but Midna appeared to hate them. Using the statue to not only protect himself but also attack anything and everything in his way he made it back to the main room in no time. He just had to go down the stairs to find the statue in the teleportation device that he'd discovered the bells were for. But he stopped at the top of the stairs.

The feeling he'd gotten when first arriving in this room had followed him through the temple. He'd ignored it like the nagging feeling people would get in the back of their mind but now it forced its way up front. It was a sense of some kind. Whatever it was, it was telling him how strong this thing was. _'Is this what Midna feels?'_ He wondered. Link fell to his knees and started gasping. He couldn't breathe. The air was so saturated with this evil power. _'It's suffocating!'_ Link thought. He didn't want Midna to be concerned about it but it wasn't as though she was blind. She'd already seen him fall. She was speaking to him but he was having trouble hearing her. His heart was beating so fast that the blood was roaring in his ears. _'This is bad.'_ He couldn't stand up. His body was frozen in that spot. Now Midna moved so he could see her. She looked panicked. Link still couldn't hear her but he could make out some of what she was saying by reading her lips. "I'm getting you out of here." Was what he put together. Though she'd said more than that, most likely the rest was her telling him that he should've turned back. Now she wasn't giving him a choice. He couldn't protest to that. And not only because he couldn't talk at the moment. This crushing presence was definitely too much for him to handle at his current level.

She floated back to prepare the warp tunnel but stopped and looked when the large stone door suddenly exploded. The blast was so powerful that some fragments of the door even made it up to the top of the stairs and the statue under the bell shattered. One large rock looked as though it'd actually been thrown directly at her. But she stood her ground; if she moved it would've hit Link. She extended her hair into a limb and caught the rock just before impact. Once the dust cleared at the base of the stairs and she saw where to aim she winged it around and threw it right back at the attacker.

The man at the base of the stairs simply outstretched his arm and an invisible force caused the rock to disintegrate. He continued upward until he found the hero on the ground. "What is this?" He asked. "The gods send _this_ to oppose me?"

Link was trying to prop himself up but it was harder than before. Ever since the man came close the gravity felt as though it'd been dialed up. He did his best to get a look at the man; the increase in gravity wouldn't allow him to lift his head enough to see his face; he could, however, see his hands. There was a mark of the Triforce glowing on the back of his right hand; the top triangle shown deeper than all the others. This man had the Triforce of Power. _'Ganondorf!'_ Link's eyes went wide.

"Things are going a little faster than expected." He smirked. "So I decided, why not make an early appearance?" He took a step closer to Link but the second he'd moved Midna was there baring her fangs and glaring. This only seemed to amuse him.

"Stay away from him!" She growled. Her demand was ignored. He simply shrugged it off and sent her flying across the room to meet the wall.

"I had planned on this being a surprise for when you'd finally gotten that door open." His smile disappeared and he kicked Link as hard as he could. "But you couldn't even make it **that** far." He kicked him again and this time he heard ribs crack. "You're pathetic." He said picking the boy up by the collar of his shirt. "This is an insult."

'_Get it together!'_ Link told himself over and over. _'You're dying idiot!'_

He couldn't even get his legs to kick. But he did feel a bit of relief when Ganondorf threw him from the top of the stairs. It put some distance between him and the source of the evil power that had been hurting him almost as badly as Ganondorf was. The relief, however, ended when he hit the floor and continued to roll until he was back under the bell.

"Link!" Midna shouted from where she stood. She watched Ganondorf jump down and land on his feet before deciding she'd have to race over and fight him. She had to try and save Link, he'd do the same for her. As they both converged on the spot the bell started to lower down to the floor and covered Link by the time they got to him. The device took on a strange yellow glow before Ganondorf hit it with a mass of malevolent energy. The strike caused it to shake violently and then explode. She covered her eyes and listened for any indication that Link was alive. She heard nothing.

She cautiously opened her eyes and found that there really was nothing there. The brass plate where Link had been laying was empty. Even Ganondorf looked surprised. He'd expected a body to be there but it appeared as though he'd completely obliterated the boy by accident. That wasn't what he'd planned at all. Now he couldn't recover the Triforce until it reappeared in someone else. That was definitely a set back. It frustrated him so much that he picked up a scrap of metal and hurled it at the remaining statue, effectively beheading it. After that outburst he turned and stormed out, plotting his next move.

Midna's heart sank. "Link…?" She whispered. _'Is he really gone?' _

)()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()(

Link couldn't see where he was. He was still lying on the floor in the Temple of Time as far as he knew. And he was still in a lot of pain. The pressure he'd felt was gone but he still couldn't breathe without what felt like a rib piercing his lung. "Gaaah…" He groaned while forcing himself to sit up. "That's something I don't want to repeat." He rummaged around in one of the pouches on his belt until he pulled out a bottle containing a fairy. "Think you can help me?" Link asked uncorking the bottle and lying back down. It wasn't the most comfortable thing to lay on the shield and sheath but it was better than sitting up and risking more broken bones.

The fairy flew over and landed lightly on his chest to inspect the wound. She then nodded gleefully and went straight work patching him up.

While she was finishing up with the ribs Link took the time to look around. He wasn't where he thought he was. This new place was hardly anything. There were no doors or windows that he could see. Yet the entire place was lit with beams of light that came from nowhere. The floor even looked like it was glowing blue. He was sitting in the middle of a Triforce pattern on the floor and was surrounded by tiles of varying colors. Turning to see each one he noticed that there were six of them: Gold, Purple, Orange, Blue, Red, and Green.

"Do you want me to take care of the bruises and scratches too?" The fairy asked.

"No. You've done enough and I thank you for that." He said standing up to stretch. "But do you know where we are by any chance?"

She shook her head. "Sorry."

"That's alright. You can go." Link answered looking up. "If there's a way out of this place…" The fairy nodded and took off and was soon out of sight. Apparently there was a way out for her. "Oh well. You can warp me out, right Midna?" He looked down at his shadow but nothing happened. "Midna?" Still nothing. "Midna, you need to tell me even if you can't." Now he was starting to catch on. "Midna you're here right?" His shadow didn't move. For the first time in a while his shadow was just his shadow. "I'm alone?" He gasped.

"It would appear so…"

"Who said that?" Link asked wheeling around on his heels to find the source of the new voice. What he found was a balding old man wearing an orange robe with a red collar. His mustache grew back and connected with his sideburns; his eyebrows also looked pretty funny, but Link would just keep that to himself. This elderly man looked very serious but he couldn't tell if he was friend or foe. "Who are you?"

"Calm down. I am Rauru, the Sage of Light."

"Sage of Light…?" Link didn't really know much about the sages. He'd only talked to them briefly once before. And they had looked more like ghosts than people. But he had to guess that being a sage meant you were trustworthy. "Where am I?" He asked sounding a little desperate.

"This is the Chamber of Sages, inside the Temple of Light."

"There's a Temple of Light?" He'd never heard of it. "Where's the Temple of Light located exactly?"

"The Temple of Light is located in the very center of the Sacred Realm-"

"This is the Sacred Realm?" Link blurted out looking bright eyed. "Who knew I'd actually get to go to the Sacred Realm!"

"I suppose you are _technically_ in the Sacred Realm." Rauru said a bit surprised by the childish reaction. "But you will only ever see this chamber."

"Oh…" Link deflated slightly. "Okay." That was disappointing. But it was better than nothing. Link forgot about it and tried to focus. There were some things he needed to know. "Do you know what happened to me? Why am I here?"

"Ah, you can relax. You are not dead."

"I know I'm not dead."

"You were not concerned about that?"

"Nope."

"Oh. Well. I thought you would be."

"I figure the fairy would've told me if I were dead." Link shrugged. "That's not what I asked."

"Oh. Right… What happened to you…?" He seemed to have trouble figuring it out. "I believe you are the lad from the future…" Link just smiled and listened. He had no idea what Rauru meant about being from the future but the old man was the best source for finding some answers at the moment. "I see." He appeared to be figuring out what happened just by looking at Link. "Something went awry in your journey. Your destiny was to kill Ganondorf but he regained his power faster than anticipated. You were in grave danger in your time. Ganondorf would have taken the Triforce from you and then killed you. So the gods intervened and brought you to a place where you would be safe." He was still puzzled by something. "I do not completely understand the logic in sending you here…"

"Can Ganondorf find me here?" Link asked.

"I think not. But you cannot stay here. You need to continue to get stronger so you may go back and save your world." Rauru answered. He flicked his wrist and a blue crystalline barrier appeared around Link. "You need to venture out into the world and build up your courage."

"What?" That seemed pointless. He had the courage to face killer plants and stand mere yards away from lava. How much more courage would he need in order to fight Ganondorf? Once he'd found out about him he knew they would inevitably fight. And he felt that it wasn't too far off from where he'd been if everything had gone as expected. It couldn't take much more to be able to beat him. Was there really that much of a gap between the two of them in strength?

"You were paralyzed by his aura weren't you? Fear had a hand in that."

Link averted his eyes. _'It was more like being crushed than paralyzed'_ He thought to himself. Not that it made much of a difference. "So I need to completely banish my fears?" Link didn't think that was possible. He'd been afraid before. There were many things he'd seen that frightened him. But he had always cast away the consequences and done what he knew had to be done.

"You don't need to banish your fears. You just need to be able to work with them. The thing you need to banish is your doubt. That was the other factor in the paralysis you felt. Fear alone isn't the worst thing. But when fear and doubt are combined… the result leaves much to be desired." He flicked his wrist again and the barrier started to carry Link out of the chamber.

"Wait!" Link shouted. "Where's Midna?"

Rauru didn't answer. He didn't even look like he'd heard the question. All Link could do was watch Rauru shrink out of sight and vanish. There was then a bright light that caused him to shut his eyes. _'This must be some sort of warp.'_ He thought as he opened his eyes. The room had changed so it was safe to say his assumption was correct. He preferred Midna's way of warping. This way made him feel like he was submerged in water or stuck in a fish tank. He was very happy when the barrier disappeared and he was back on a solid floor. But this place wasn't one he recognized either.

He was still standing in the middle of the Triforce mark on the floor but now there was an empty pedestal in front of him. It kind of looked like the place where he'd gotten the Master Sword but it was slightly different. The first thing he noticed was that this room had no windows. There was just a skylight. He could also see that the tiles were still surrounding him but their color had faded to grey.

"Is this the Temple of Time?" He thought aloud. It still didn't look right but if he wasn't there then where was he? Having nothing better to do, he exited the room and only got even more confused. This next room didn't look right either. Its structure was the same as it should've been but instead of the stone guardians there was another pedestal. And this one wasn't empty. It contained three gems of some sort. He could see that there was an emerald, a ruby, and a sapphire. And he could see that they undoubtedly held some significance so he didn't touch them. He just continued walking.

This room was better than the last. He liked it when he could see the outdoors and this room had windows like it was supposed to. But it was still strange. It was too white for one. And the next thing was the checkerboard tiling on either side of the central path. And the Triforce mark that he'd been standing only a few hours ago was now further back towards the exit and on a raised platform. Not to mention the complete lack of a stairway and the absence of the Time Door. By now his curiosity had been piqued and he had to know why the temple had changed in appearance; so he walked passed the platform and headed out the door.

"This isn't Hyrule…" Link said looking at the new landscape. The temple didn't even look the same. It looked more like a cathedral with three steeples. That and it was very dark on the outside from a heavy layer of caked on ash. The ground was bare and the trees were dead. There was also an active, and very angry volcano in the distance. "What happened to the Sacred Grove?" There was no forest nearby. But he was still curious about this place. He took the path leading towards what looked like a town. _'Why would I be in Castle Town?' _He wondered. _'This doesn't even look like Castle Town. It looks depressing.'_

Once he got close enough he could see that it wasn't exactly a town. It was the remains of one, but it had been destroyed and there were no people around. "What happened here?" He asked stepping close to what looked like a mangled tree.

Luckily he noticed his mistake before he leaned up against it. The creature lifted its head and started to walk towards him with its arms reaching out to grab him.

"What the?" The thing wasn't something he'd ever encountered before. Its skin was dry and cracked so that it looked like bark. But now he could see that it was some sort of humanoid. In fact, it looked like a moving corpse. He couldn't tell if it was good or bad that it was wearing what he assumed was a mask. It only made what you saw of its face scarier. The eyes were hollow and the mouth was full of rotting teeth. And the entire area was full of them. But Link only concerned himself with the one still shuffling towards him. "Get away!" He shouted trying to move. The only thing he could manage was a step backward. His body was freezing up again but not to the same extent as it did with Ganondorf. There was a trick to this. He could sense it. It had to be something about the eyes. He couldn't stop staring into their emptiness. Its arm was still reaching for him; the boney fingers were inches away from his face. But when it took a step the hand moved over his eyes for a brief moment. That gave him the time to quickly close them and back away.

He thought he'd saved himself from whatever that thing was going to do to him but he backed right into another one. This one shrieked like the undead monsters in Arbiter's Grounds. Link found that he was paralyzed once again. _'No!'_ He felt the creature's limbs wrapping around him and one of its hands moving up to cover his mouth. Now he'd have to do a fair amount of struggling to get free even when the paralysis wore off. That was definitely something he was willing to do. He could see the first monster he'd encountered was still intent on catching him. It'd continued to chase him after he'd run away.

He screamed behind the hand when he felt teeth sink into his neck. _'They bite?'_ It hurt, but it seemed to shock him out of paralysis. He started to work on getting his arms free; something that would've been easy if he didn't panic but he did when the other monster put its hand over his eyes and forced his head back. _'No, no, no! Not two of them!'_ When this one bit him it felt like acid spread from the wound into his blood stream. _'Leaving the cathedral was a huge mistake…'_ He told himself while he continued to struggle against the two creatures._ 'Get off me dammit!'_ He growled. But the monsters paid him no mind. His struggling slowed and he started to feel funny. It was as though they were draining his strength. He started to feel tired and it became difficult to keep his eyes open. He felt faint. And it was when he gave in to that feeling that he got the opportunity to escape. His knees buckled unexpectedly and he fell to the ground in an awkward movement.

The monsters didn't appear to know where he'd gone. He laid there very quietly for a few minutes and hoped for the best. Eventually the two monsters moved back to where they'd been standing before he'd disturbed them and he crawled over to the fountain in the middle of the square. Originally he'd wanted to use it to pick himself up but something told him he was safer on the ground. So he continued to crawl until he felt it was safe.

"I need help…" He breathed. It was very hard to stand. He felt as though he may be sick; there was no doubt that he was woozy. His head felt heavy and he staggered around a bit and wound up falling against a wooden door. "I need to find someone who can help me…!" He continued on over a broken drawbridge and out into the field before he finally fell back down. The wounds on his neck were still throbbing and seeping blood into his shirt. It felt like the creatures were still there. It even smelled like they were still there. The thought of that caused him to spill the contents of his stomach on the ground. He thought it'd feel good to get that out of the way but he felt even worse afterward. It made him feel even weaker and dizzier than before. _'I'm going to die, aren't I…?'_ Was his final thought before his vision hazed black and his consciousness slipped away.

He heard the crunch of someone's boots as they stepped along the grass. He opened his eyes slightly to see that someone was approaching him. It was a relief. But he fell back into darkness soon after catching a glimpse of the brown boots walking towards him.

"What happened to him?" Link's ears twitched at the sound. He could hear the noises that filled the room and he could feel that his wounds were barely noticeable now. He was conscious but he didn't want to wake up just yet. "Why didn't anyone come to me?" The person continued to ask angrily. The owner of the voice sounded like an elderly woman. "You asked that young man at the Medicine Shop, didn't you? That would explain the shotty work!"

"Granny please. There was no time." A younger woman answered. "He found him out in the field and brought him here as fast as he could. I intended to come and get you but someone said he could get really sick if it wasn't handled right then so…"

"It looks like he got sick anyway." Granny said bitterly. "He'd be awake by now if I'd handled it."

"I am a little worried." The girl sighed. "He's been unconscious for the past two days."

"And that's why you asked me to come and take a look, am I right Anju?" There was no spoken response. But the old woman moved over to the bed that Link was laying in. "I don't see anything."

"We bandaged him up Granny." Anju said quietly.

"I smell Blue Potion." Granny didn't appear to have heard Anju's statement. "Why is there Blue Potion?"

"He had some in a bottle when he found him and administered some to the wounds so they wouldn't get any worse." She answered. "Is he sick? He was bitten by two ReDead."

"A ReDead bite? Two?" Granny mused. "Feh… He's fine. He's just trying to regain the energy those creatures stole."

"Really? That's good." Anju sounded very relieved.

"Where's the one who brought him here?" Granny asked as she walked away.

"Still around town. He wanted me to get him when this young man woke up. I think he…" Anju's voice faded away after a door shut.

Link waited until he didn't hear their footsteps anymore before opening his eyes. He turned his head to look around at the room he was in. There were plain white walls and he thought he could see a hard wood floor. But the thing that was making the most noise in the room was the small boiling pot in the corner. He didn't smell anything coming out of it so it must've been water and nothing else.

He saw the other bed next to his and noticed it had many piles on it. Taking a closer look he saw that the other bed had his clothes laid out on it. He saw his belts, his armguards, his gloves, his chainmail, and his green hat and tunic. His boots, shield, and sword were leaned up against the wall in between the two beds. Since he didn't see his pants he felt his leg to find that he still had them on. _'That's a relief…'_ But he also didn't see his white shirt. He lifted up the blanket covering him to find that it was gone. "Where…?" He asked sitting up. He noticed his whole body felt a little stiff. "Geez. Was I dead?"

"If you had been brought here any later you could have been." Someone answered.

"Who are you?" Link asked looking around. _'What is with these people and sneaking up on me?'_ He didn't see anyone by the door. _'I didn't hear anyone come in'_ Soon the newcomer revealed themselves. She'd been standing in one of the corners of the room as Link took it. _'Why didn't I see her?'_ She was another woman but her age wasn't determinable. She had short white hair pulled back into a ponytail and red eyes. She didn't look like anyone Link had ever seen before.

"I'd like to ask you the same thing. But more importantly, what were you thinking going into the ruins of Castle Town?" Her expression reminded him of the look Midna would give him every time he'd done something foolish. "Everyone knows it's filled with those monsters."

"I…" He didn't know what to say. He honestly didn't know that those things were there. But that was only because he didn't know where he was. He was at a loss on what to do. Should he try and explain what happened or should he? He wasn't even sure whether or not he should give this woman his name.

"What exactly were you trying to prove?"

"I wasn't trying to prove anything. It was an accident." Link answered.

"An accident? You expect me to believe that you just bumped into one?"

"Well…" He rubbed the back of his head. "That is kind of what happened…" His face reddened slightly. _'I must sound really stupid right now.'_ But it was the truth. "I didn't know what they were." Link said having decided to explain things anyway. "I have no idea where I am. I got confused."

"What do you mean you don't know where you are?" She asked.

"I don't know the area. I was attacked by Ganondorf and then I was in that town, that's all I know." The woman looked surprised by that. "But I really need to know how to get back to my homeland becau-"

"Ganondorf attacked you?" She cut him off.

"Yes. He nearly killed me I guess. Then something happened and the next thing I knew I was here. I thought the monster was a tree." He sighed covering his face with his left hand. The woman stared at the back of his hand and went white. Link, not having noticed, continued to berate himself. "I know it was very stupid of me to think there'd be a tree in there but… I don't know. I'll certainly never make that mistake again."

"What is this?" She said grabbing his wrist. Now it was obvious to Link what she was talking about. Before he could even answer she started rubbing at it to see if it would come off. "This can't be real."

"What?" He couldn't understand why it was so unbelievable. "It's real. Why would it be fake?"

Her face wasn't readable. But her eyes showed him that she was thinking about something. "Never mind." She shook her head.

Both Link and the woman, who hadn't yet named herself, looked over at the door when Anju came back inside. She stopped at the doorway in shock. "Lady Impa? What are you doing here?"

"Just checking in on your patient." Impa answered. "He appears to be doing well."

"Do you really think so? Granny said he might be sick since he hasn't woken up yet." She was so busy bustling about that she hadn't noticed Link sitting there. She walked over to the pot and used some tongs to poke at whatever was inside. "That's better." She said lifting it out. It appeared to be Link's missing shirt.

"So that's where that went." Link's voice was a little on the loud side to get her attention. Anju dropped the tongs and spun around.

Her blue eyes were big and round out of surprise. "Oh my. You're awake?" She said with a very flustered look on her face. "I didn't notice. I'm sorry. How's your neck?"

"My neck feels just fine." It _felt_ fine. He had no idea it if **was** fine.

"How long has he been awake Lady Impa?"

"Not long. I was just asking him a few questions." She answered. She then turned to Link with a warmer look on her face. "I apologize if it came across as more of an interrogation. Old habits die hard." Link shrugged at that. He wasn't one to hold a grudge. "I am Impa of the Sheikah Tribe." She continued. "I **was** the guardian of the Royal Family. But now that our kingdom has taken a turn for the worst I do what I can around here."

'_Sheikah Tribe? I've never heard of that.'_ Link thought.

"I would still like to know what you're doing here though." Impa smirked.

Link frowned at that. He didn't know what he was doing here. He was only this place because the gods sent him here. He didn't choose it. He didn't even choose to leave the Temple of Light. He was just doing what Rauru told him to do. But he wasn't sure if he could mention that. He wasn't completely convinced whether or not that had actually happened. He didn't want to sound crazy. But he didn't want to lie either. Now he was on the spot again and at a loss with words. It was a very intense moment. Impa was smiling but her eyes looked as though they seeing right through him. Link even felt as though she might be invading his mind.

"Excuse me?" Anju interrupted. "Can I tell you what he told me?" She asked.

"What?" Both Link and Impa said at once.

"He's looking for his friend." Anju answered.

"What?" Link asked again.

Impa looked at Anju for a moment before heading for the door. "Very well." She sighed. "I will return shortly." She opened the door and stepped out.

"Are you going to get him?" Anju asked taking Link's shirt out of the water again.

"Yes." Was the short reply before the door shut.

There was a moment of awkward silence while Anju rung out the water and hung the garment on a rack to dry. Link was very confused again. He couldn't tell if the confusion had ever stopped since he'd seen Ganondorf appear ahead of schedule. Everything had been happening so fast after that. He felt helpless. So many things had happened without him seeing it coming or having any means to stop it. He felt anxious. But he kept those feelings inside. These people didn't seem to understand that he had to get back to Hyrule to finish what he'd started. Ganondorf was probably running rampant and hurting many of the people he cared about. Meanwhile he was stuck here playing twenty questions. Although it looked as though these people had their fair share of troubles as well. Had Ganondorf's influence spread to this land as well? That was definitely what it sounded like. But all he knew was that he had to find a way home so he could protect everyone. It didn't matter that he was unprepared for the final fight. He never would've asked for this. _'I should've listened to Midna.'_ He furrowed his eyebrows and brought his knees up to his chest. _'Now she's all alone and left with no one. I abandoned her!'_ He knew it wasn't his fault. He never intended to leave her there. He thought she'd gone with him. But it didn't stop him from feeling guilty. He was her only friend since Zelda disappeared. What was she supposed to do without him? _'And after all she did to protect me. I feel like such a jerk.'_ Now she and everyone else were at the mercy of Ganondorf. Compared to what he'd felt in the Temple of Time Zant was child's play in comparison. _'Midna… please forgive me.'_ She probably thought he was dead. That didn't make him feel any better. That meant that he'd broken his promise to survive in her eyes.

"Are you feeling okay?" Anju asked sitting down at the foot of the bed. "You aren't sick, are you?"

"No…" Link replied. "I'm just thinking."

"About Midna?" She smiled. Link looked at her dumbstruck. "How do I know that, right?"

Link nodded. _'I thought I just woke up.'_

"Please don't be mad at me." She said looking down. "But I've been watching over you these past few days. The fist night you were very restless and murmuring something. So I sat on the bed next to you and listened."

"And I was talking about Midna?" He asked.

"Yes. You were very concerned about where she'd gone and what became of her." Anju nodded. "But that's not all." She continued to stare at the floor as though she'd done something wicked. "I wanted to calm you down so I talked to you. I used it as an opportunity to get information out of you."

Link thought about it for a moment and wondered what he could've possibly said. He didn't have very many secrets. The worst thing he could've said was what Rauru told him. He really didn't want people to think he was some lunatic; but now he was curious. "What exactly did I say?"

"More than I thought you would." Anju answered finally looking up. Link didn't sound angry so she felt better about what she'd done. "It was strange. I was actually able to have a full conversation with you even though you were unconscious." Link found that a little odd as well. And at the same time it made him worry. There was always the possibility that he talked in his sleep as well. He never thought he did. No one ever mentioned it to him. "You talked a lot about where you come from. Ordon, I believe. You seem to have a lot of people you care about."

"Yeah…" There were too many to name.

"How do you know about Ganondorf if you're not from here?" She asked.

Link frowned. It had only happened a few days ago and it was already a memory he hated. "I had a very… unfriendly encounter with him…"

"Oh…" She answered standing up. "He had something against you?"

"I had something he wanted." Link glanced at his left hand. "Things went sour when I wouldn't give it to him. And then there was the other little incident shortly after…" He sighed. "Two days ago was just a very unlucky day for me." It was almost on the same level as the day everything had started. Just like back then, nothing had gone right and it ended with a lot on his plate. At least he could never say he was bored. It was just another chore for him to do. And he'd finish it no matter what.

"I'm sorry he made things difficult for you. Honestly, why can't that man just leave us all alone? He's already made everyone's lives miserable. What more does he want?" She put her hands on her hips in a huff. "I really hope he gets what karma is bringing to him." She turned around and drained the water from the small pot into a nearby sink before filling a larger one and hanging it over the fire.

"What were you cooking my shirt for?" Link asked wanting to change the subject. He didn't like it when people were angry.

"Cooking it? I wasn't cooking it silly. I was washing the blood out of it."

"Really?" He would've never thought to do that. He'd always thought blood was something you were stuck with. But his frown deepened. That change of subject had ended in failure. The mention of the blood made him think of the cause of it. He put a hand on his neck and felt the bandages covering where those things had latched onto his neck. He didn't linger on it for long, not wanting Anju to notice, she looked better with a smile than with a scowl. He also felt his curiosity coming back. He wanted to observe his new surroundings. There couldn't be any killer tree monsters here.

He swung his feet over the side of the bed and placed them on the floor cautiously. Once he was done making sure his toes were still responsive he stood up. He was on his feet for all of a second before his legs slipped out from underneath him and he landed on the floor with a thud.

"Oh my goodness!" Anju gasped. "Are you okay?"

"Yep." Link grunted while propping himself up. He'd been hearing that a lot lately. "I guess my legs weren't quite ready for that."

"Do you need any help?"

"No thank you. I've got it covered." Link said making another failing attempt to stand.

"Oh no… Are you sure?"

Link nodded and pushed himself up with his arms. "Third time's the charm." He groaned. This time he moved very slowly and allowed himself to adjust as he went. He had to steady himself quite a bit but was finally able to stand up. "See? I'm alright." He put on a smile even though he wasn't in the mood for it. But he could see that Anju thought it was genuine. He'd become rather good at faking happiness these last few months.

He had to use his arms to keep himself steady but he felt that failing. _'Crap.'_ He was going to fall again.

Just as he started to fall forward the door opened and someone stepped inside. Before Link could even register who it was or what had happened he fell against them. Since the person was so unprepared they fell backward from the sudden impact. The next moment they were both on the ground. Link looked up to see Impa with her hand covering her mouth. At first glance it looked like she was concerned about whether or not they were hurt, and it probably started out that way, but he could see her eyebrows were arched upward and her eyes were smiling. She was laughing.

"That's the third time you've fallen over. Please stop trying to stand." Anju pleaded coming over to the doorway. "You're body hasn't completely recovered yet."

"I'm sorry." Link said looking down to see who he'd landed on.

His eyes widened a bit when he saw who it was. It was the weirdest thing he'd seen yet. This boy looked a lot like him. There were subtle differences between the two of them but otherwise they could've been related. He was even wearing a green hat and tunic. His eyes were the same color blue. Link even noticed that from the position of the sheath on his back he was left handed as well.

"What…? Who? How?" Link stammered pushing himself up so the other blonde could stand.

"It's alright." He said dusting himself off and offering his hand.

'_At least he doesn't sound like me…'_ Link thought to himself accepting the help. In fact, this other guy's voice had a higher pitch than his. It was still strange considering he appeared to be older than Link. Admittedly not by much but it was still shocking to say the least. This newcomer looked like a brighter colored version of himself. His green tunic was a less earthy green and his white clothes were **white**.

He allowed himself to be pulled to his feet by this other young man only to slip a fourth time. Fortunately, this time he caught himself before he landed uncomfortably on his behind. He almost pouted. His legs weren't allowing him to stand but he didn't want to lay down.

Anju and Impa were standing off to the side watching the two interact. They found it an odd sight to behold as well. Unquestionably there was a resemblance between them. They'd noticed it since they first saw Link but now it just screaming in their face.

"Are they brothers?" Anju asked. It was a general question but it was more directed towards Impa.

"We can't be." Link answered. "I'm an only child."

"As am I." The other nodded. "No, we're not brothers. It goes deeper than that." He said removing his left glove. Link watched as he turned his hand to show him the back; there were three triangles stacked up into the Triforce with the one on the lower right a darker color than the rest.

Link's jaw dropped. _'The Triforce of Courage?'_ He wanted to ask a bunch of questions all at once but no words came out of his mouth. Instead he just lifted his left hand to show his mark with a look of bewilderment stuck on his face.

"My name is Link." The other blonde said already knowing what would happen next.

"Mine is too!" Link answered still in shock.

"Well isn't that confusing." Impa said with the smirk back on her face.

**(A/N)** OMG! TWO LINKS! What the hell am I thinking? I don't think I even know. Review if you liked it. And if you read it to this point I'm hoping you did. Also, I have no idea how many times I'll say this, but there will be a later pairing. It WILL NOT be the two Links you saw in this chapter because they are related in this story and I don't support things like that. It's no secret, Dark will show up later. My friend and I just wanted to torture TP Link by sticking him in the Ocarina of Time world where the map is completely different and cows talk. Seriously they do. Play Epona's song in front of them, they'll give you milk. It scared me the first time I did it. Cows aren't supposed to talk.


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N)** It took me a really long time to try and come up with a way people can distinguish the two. And the only thing that made it hard was finding a way that I was satisfied with. And the funny thing is that what I decided on was the first thing my friend pitched to me.

Pseudonym

Link sat on the same bed he'd woken up in a day ago. Anju had finally gotten him to take another rest after eating and he felt much better. He'd already tested standing and walking with success. But he hadn't yet had the chance to go outside. He and the other Link were still trying to figure things out. He still couldn't tell anyone about Rauru; having no evidence that it happened. It would really help if someone else mentioned him. Then he would feel more comfortable talking about it. Otherwise it could've been a dream. There was also the annoyance that no one had told him how to get home yet. It was very interesting that there was another Link in this country but he still needed to get home. They still didn't understand how urgent it was.

"Are you paying attention?" The other Link asked.

"Sorry. What?" Link replied looking up from the floor. The other had been pacing and rambling on about something. Link had tried to pay attention but there was just too much going on in his head to give him his undivided attention.

"What should people call you?" He repeated the question.

"What should they call me? I already told you my name."

"I know. And it's the same as mine." The other Link answered. "Impa raised a good point, it's confusing."

"Why do I have to change _my_ name?" Link asked.

"I know it sounds unfair but there is logic behind it. **You **are the newcomer. Wouldn't it make more sense if you changed your name? Too many people know me as Link already." He said sitting on the bed opposite.

"Oh… I guess you're right…" Link sighed. _'I like my name.'_ He thought keeping anything that could be seen as whining to himself. _'This guy did have it first. I suppose it's fair enough.'_ His ears drooped as they often did when he bottled up his emotions. He could never keep them from doing so. Whenever he felt sad they went down. It didn't matter if his face was unreadable, they always gave him away. But now he was too deep in thought to be concerned about that. What was he supposed to call himself? This wasn't something he'd ever considered.

"It won't be forever." The other blonde said noticing the ears. "It's only to prevent confusion."

"I don't understand why I have to change my name. I just need some directions and then I'll be gone."

"I know. You've told me that you need to get home. But it's not possible to leave the country right now." He shook his head. "There are blockades and patrols at all the borders. Anyone caught trying to leave is arrested and locked up in the prison that lies in the desert."

"A prison? Your country has one of those?" Link asked. He was pretty sure there had been one at one point in time where he'd come from. But he knew there wasn't one now.

"Yes. I've only heard of it though. I've never been there."

The start of a conversation ended when the two boys heard a rapping on the door. They briefly looked at each other before the older Link got up to walk over to the door. The other, realizing he was still half naked, walked over to the rack to put on his white shirt. It was completely dry and pretty much stainless. If someone was trying with all their effort to find the spot where it had been they'd be able to see something but otherwise it was clean.

By the time he'd pulled it over his head and gotten his arms through the sleeves the door was open. But he didn't see anyone come inside. The other Link was talking to someone with an apologetic look on his face but there wasn't anyone there. This had to be investigated.

"What's going on?" He asked walking over as the other closed the door.

"Nothing. I just forgot someone outside." The blonde answered.

It got him a funny look from Link. _'An imaginary friend?'_ He thought as he went to put on the rest of his clothes. _'It's best not to pay any attention to it.'_ He told himself. A moment later he was in the chainmail and the tunic. Another moment and he had on the belts, gloves, and armguards. He reached for his hat but when he was just about to pick it up it flew upward and floated away. "What…?" He said standing up to follow it. He could see the other Link was smiling about something. "What did you do?" He asked grabbing at his hat only to have it float out of reach again.

"It's not me." He answered with a slight laugh.

"Then what's so funny?" Link asked jumping to catch it. No matter what he did the hat always floated just out of reach. "Give it back!" He shouted jumping again.

"I can't." He shrugged. "It's not me doing it."

"If it's not you then why won't you help me?" Link asked still failing at every attempt to catch his hat.

The other laughed for a bit longer before responding. "Navi let him have his hat."

The hat stopped where it was and floated down low enough for Link to grab. He snatched it as soon as he could so it couldn't fly off again. And even though he said he didn't do it Link was curious and suspicious. He could've rigged it to the door with a fishing line so that someone outside could mess with him. Although he was confused as to why anyone would go to such lengths just to trick someone. Still, he opened his hat and looked inside before he even dared to put it on. There wasn't anything on the inside that would've gotten his head dirty. But when he looked he did get a bright light in his face. Something small and blue flew out directly at him. It was so unexpected that he fell over yet again. Counting all the times he'd fallen over yesterday this was around the tenth time. And he wasn't too happy about it.

"What was that?" He asked getting back on his feet.

"That was Navi." Came the obvious answer.

"Who's Navi?"

"I'm Navi!" Said a winged blue light. "Who are you?"

Link looked puzzled. He'd seen fairies before but they were never blue or able to speak. Or if they were they never talked to him. The Great Fairy was the only one who'd ever actually spoken to him. But after the first time he'd never gone back to talk to her. She had boundary issues to say the least. He wasn't tactically defensive or anything. He just believed that a person should respect and remain at certain distances when they barely knew someone. And there was the fact that she was topless with only her long hair covering her. Coming so close that she was only inches away from him and putting her hand on his face was enough to make him avoid her.

"Hello Navi. I'm…" He had to stop and think. It was best to think of something random and stick with it but he could only think of the people he was concerned about. And a lot of the first names he thought of were girl's names. He couldn't have that. After that he thought of the names of the men in his village and found that he'd feel very strange calling himself by any of those names. He knew them too well. But now that he thought about it he knew a lot of people. Unfortunately he didn't have much time to think about it. Navi was waiting for an answer. He couldn't keep her waiting. "Uhh…" He concentrated and said the next name he thought of. "Ralis. My name is Ralis." The Zora Prince. It wasn't weird to use his name. Most likely because he wasn't a Zora and he knew it. So his mind didn't cause him to imagine himself as that person. _'I guess that makes __**him**__ the only Link now.'_

"Your name is Ralis?" Link asked.

"Why did it take him so long?" Navi floated over and circled Link's head.

"Because my real name is also Link." _Ralis_ answered. "But that would be confusing."

"Obviously." Link added. "So now we call him Ralis."

"How much did I miss yesterday…?" The fairy sank down to Link's shoulder and sat there.

"Not much. Just me humiliating myself over and over." _Ralis_ said thinking about it and wishing it didn't happen. He must've looked like an idiot to those women. He knew Link thought he was funny. That much was evident. And he really couldn't tell how he felt about that. He did have pride but he didn't have so much that he refused to make people laugh.

"So Link?" She said referring to the boy she was next to but _Ralis_ looked up as well. He wasn't used to his new name at all. But he was glad that the fairy continued on without noticing. "Does he really have the Triforce too?" She whispered. Link nodded in response.

And rather than taking off his glove and showing it again _Ralis_ simply put on a dorky smile and raised his left hand while waving.

"Why are there two people with the Triforce of Courage?" No one could answer her question. Neither of them had figured that out yet. "And why do you both look so similar?" She flew around _Ralis_ in inspection. "It's eerie."

"We don't look exactly alike." Link said folding his arms.

"I know but the resemblance is pointing towards a blood relation." Navi insisted. "But the Great Deku Tree never mentioned any living family. If anyone would've known it would've been him."

"What's a Deku Tree?" Ralis asked. He'd never heard of anything like it and the way they were talking about it was even more confusing. It was as if they were insinuating this tree could talk.

"What?" Both Link and the fairy asked.

"The Great Deku Tree was the guardian of the Kokiri and their forest." The fairy said as though he should've known. "He was very wise."

"He was also the closest thing I had to a father." Link added.

'_So he _was all_ this stuff. That must mean he died.'_ Ralis told himself. But that didn't clear everything up. "What's a Kokiri?"

"You're kidding, right?" Navi sighed.

Ralis shook his head. "Sorry." He didn't want to pretend to know things he didn't. "I'm from a place that no one's even heard of so maybe that's why this Deku Tree has never heard of me."

"Maybe…" Link mused. "But it doesn't matter where he comes from. He survived a bite from **two** ReDead. He's strong. That's a good thing, right?"

"So you're saying he could be useful to us?" The fairy said in a voice full of snark

"Hold on. I can't help you. I know your land is in trouble but mine is too. I don't have any time for this." Ralis put up his hands. "Ganondorf is probably running rampant. My friends need me. I can't start another journey now."

Link took a few steps back and leaned against the door. "I haven't forgotten. But from what you're telling me I can surmise that Ganondorf is your problem. The same man who's taken over our land as well. Think about it. We share a problem. Why can't we work together to beat him?"

"In other words, Link needs your help because he's blowing it." Navi added.

"That's not true." He argued.

"I'm only taking into account that you didn't make it through the Forest Temple unharmed."

"Navi." Link all but whined. "Don't make it sound like I screwed up at every turn. I did fine for my first try. What more were you expecting of me?"

"Nothing. I just hated having to watch you get hurt. That Phantom shocked you so many times you had to get the help of **two** fairies."

While they continued to talk about events prior Ralis drifted off into thought. _'Perhaps Ganondorf set his sights on the entire world? This is starting to making some sense. I can't deny that the situation is a bit complex. If I do nothing, I'm letting people down. But at the same time I __**can't**__ do anything about it right now. And yet if I don't act in some way he wins.'_ He was beginning to think himself into circles and causing a headache. _'I need to do something. And the old man did tell me to get stronger and banish my doubt or some such nonsense. And if that's what it takes… I need to find Midna. I need to do find some way of making sure she's okay. I'll do anything I have to. Even if it takes partnering up with this greenhorn. It won't be so bad. I was the same after all. I guess I can be to him what that Heroes' Shade was to me.'_ He nodded a few times finally figuring it out. "Alright. I'm in."

"Really?" The fairy flitted about.

"Of course. I'm not meaning to sound cocky but I've proven that I can handle certain trials with an amount of finesse. Not that I didn't have my fair share of mistakes in the beginning. As a result I can honestly say I never want to hear monkeys screech again."

"You had trouble?" Navi asked sounding concerned. "Wasn't anyone looking after you?"

"Yes… well… sorta." Ralis answered thinking about Midna. "She provided some help but, at the time, it was really no different than going it alone."

"That must've been hard." Link said grimacing at the thought.

"It was a little frustrating at first but I got used to it. Eventually I didn't need to ask for help." Ralis shrugged and sat down on one of the beds to pull his boots on. "And to be completely honest, most of my problems were not her fault. It was this other man by the name of Zant. With only a fraction of Ganondorf's power he forced the princess to surrender and took over the country." He stood and picked up his sword to strap it to his back. "He cursed me numerous times. That was the greatest annoyance."

"He cursed you?" Link looked very interested. "How did he do that? What effect did it have?"

"I'd rather not mention the details." Ralis answered attaching the shield to the back of the sheath. He hated being turned into a beast every other second. The only up-side was that he at least didn't have fleas. That would've been unbearable. "No, rather than focus on that let's switch gears to current events. Where were you headed and what was the objective?"

"That's on a need-to-know basis for now." The fairy answered.

"Navi." Link scolded. "He's working with us. He has a right to know what's happening."

"Link, haven't you ever heard of probation or a trial period? We don't completely know him. You shouldn't tell him everything up front." She whispered.

"I trust him." The blonde replied.

"You trust everyone!" Navi shot back. "You can't possibly be _that_ naïve."

"He has the Triforce. He can't be bad."

"He's not the one I'm most concerned about."

"If I could just get a word in…" Ralis said putting his hand between Link and the fairy. "I don't mind the caution, okay? It's actually a good idea. It's also something I never thought of either. Fortunately, I haven't been betrayed yet. But there's no need to sit here and fight about it."

Link and Navi stared for a few moments before shrugging. It really wasn't getting them anywhere. The rest of the country was suffering while they were bickering. It was a selfish waste of time. Link thought about where they had to go next. Rauru had mentioned the awakened sages that needed to be found and Sheik had mentioned where they were. He knew he had to go back up Death Mountain and see to the Gorons but the volcano looked dangerous. And he was certain Sheik had told him the second temple was in Death Mountain Crater. That was in the very mouth of the lava spewing precipice. And he could assume the heat inside got to about one thousand, one hundred and sixty degrees Celsius. Last he'd heard it wasn't possible to survive those temperatures.

"Ever been inside a volcano?" Link asked. "That mountain outside is where I was headed when I found you unconscious and all…" He trailed off.

"Yeah." Ralis sighed. "What exactly were those killer tree things anyway?"

"Those were ReDead." Navi answered. "And they're **not** trees."

"They're more like zombies." Link said walking to the door. "They petrify their victim with a shriek."

"Yes. I've encountered creatures that did that before but the biting my neck was new." Ralis said thinking about the monsters in Arbiter's Grounds again. "They used the shriek but only used it to attack me with a sword."

"I wish they only attacked with a sword." Link laughed. "But no, they don't. They suck the life out of you. I don't know why they do that. It doesn't seem to make any change in their state but they devour your life force. I don't know what happens if they completely finish you off though."

"That's… That's terrifying." Ralis responded faintly.

"But they're blind." Navi threw in. "You just need to be quiet and they'll never notice you."

"Oh… oops." That would've been nice to know a few days ago. He'd been anything but quiet. He was a clumsy, screaming mess. "That's embarrassing."

"It's alright. Just forget it and come with me." Link said opening the door. "You still need to come out and meet everyone."

"There's time for that?" Ralis asked. "I thought Ganondorf was a huge problem for you guys too."

"He is but, it's weird, he's not really doing anything to cause trouble. He just sits up there in that castle of his. He's probably plotting but there's nothing I can do about that."

"Hmm… I guess that's true." They couldn't stop him from plotting. All they could do was face whatever obstacles he threw at them when they appeared. It wouldn't kill him to be social for a while. Besides, it wasn't like he'd never let himself get distracted by trivial things and playing games. He never thought it'd done any harm but now that he thought about it he'd wasted a lot of time goofing off. Maybe that was what had allowed Ganondorf to appear so quickly. _'Midna never seemed to have a problem with it.'_ He thought. She was the one who usually kept him in check and she never yelled at him for wasting time. That had to mean it wasn't a bad thing. _'Maybe she just wanted to make sure I didn't burn out.'_

"C'mon." Link encouraged. "I'll get into a lot of trouble if I don't show you around."

"Oh really?" Ralis raised his eyebrows as he walked outside.

Instantly he was grabbed and put into a suffocating bear hug by a rather large woman. It was easy enough for him to adjust and figure out how to breathe. It felt as though the hug were coming from Yeto the yeti, not that he'd ever experienced that. He just got a look of confusion back on his face. As far as he knew he'd never met this woman. Why was she hugging him?

"Thank the gods you're okay!" She wailed.

"Miss Mu!" Link shouted running out of the house. "Stop!"

"I'm sorry. I'm just so happy!" She answered letting Ralis go.

"Hhhi." He gasped. "I'm… Ralis."

"My name is Mamamu Yan." She replied. "But everyone just calls me Miss Mu for short."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Mu." Ralis smiled.

"Sorry about all that." Link whispered. "She has a lot of feelings."

"I know." She sighed. "My reactions to small things are a little extreme but I just couldn't help it." She said sounding like she might cry. "When Link brought you here all bloody and delirious…" She paused to cringe. "It was just to much to take!" She cupped Ralis' face in her hands. "But now it's so great to see you're okay."

Ralis smiled nervously and pulled away. _'Boundaries woman! Boundaries!'_ He nonchalantly stepped behind Link for protection. "Like I said, it was nice to meet you." He waved. Link took the hint and started walking toward the town border and away from Miss Mu.

They approached a tree that looked like it was up-side down. Ralis also noticed that it appeared to be the only tree in the village. There were two men standing at the base of it and it looked like they were having some sort of tickle fight. They were very wrapped up in whatever they were talking about because they didn't even notice the two young men approaching. They were really laughing about something. It was good to see that the people were in high spirits in such bad times.

"Good evening, gentlemen." Link announced. "Any good gossip today?"

"Hello Mr. Link!" They both answered.

"Nothing interesting since this fella arrived." The one in the red sweater pointed to Ralis.

"Of course you were already aware of that." The blue one added.

"Shouldn't you be off on your journey?" The red one asked. "You were doing something like that weren't you? I believe you mentioned it the other day."

"Yes. I am in the midst of doing something of that nature but I stopped to make sure my new friend would recover." Link replied.

"And I did." Ralis said proudly.

"Are you two brothers?" They both looked confused.

"We're not sure." Link answered. "There's no proof on whether we are or not. For all I know he's my cousin or something."

"That'd be weird." Ralis said thinking about it. "But it wouldn't be awful." He'd always wondered how things would be if he'd had a relative. Colin and the other children were great but they weren't blood relatives. They were close enough and he'd never really wanted more; Colin practically **was** his little brother but he always thought there would be a slight difference.

"That's very interesting." The red one replied before they went back to their previous conversation.

Ralis kept an eye on Link as he walked away but wandered off in a separate direction. This town had seven buildings and six with red roofs. The seventh had a blue roof and rusty paneling; it was standing next to a well and in front of a stairway that led to a large windmill. It was impressive to say the least. He'd heard of such structures but never seen one. The next thing he saw was what looked like a watchtower. It was very similar to the one he'd seen Talo on top of in Kakariko but much thinner. And smaller. If he jumped from the top of it he'd suffer less damage than if he'd jumped off its counterpart. It always made him nervous the way Talo was right on the edge of it and, unlike this one, it didn't have any guard rail whatsoever.

Link had walked off towards a red brick building and hadn't turned back. He'd noticed Ralis had gone the other way but he saw no harm in letting him go off on his own. Just as long as he didn't try to go up the mountain trail alone he didn't need a chaperone.

Ralis ran up to the ladder of the watchtower and began to climb. This village wasn't very big. He should be able to get a good view of it from such a height. And when he got to the top he found that there was already someone up there. But this man didn't appear to mind his presence. He simply continued with whatever he was doing and it didn't look like much. He was just looking around from the top of the tower and he was moving really fast in doing so.

Ralis looked towards the windmill and saw a man on the adjacent rooftop. "Hello!" He called down. The man looked up and looked shocked to see him there. _'I guess no one really talks to him.'_ And he must've been right because the other man on the watchtower didn't pay any attention to them or what was going on around him. _'He's a very disconnected guy…'_ But Ralis didn't care. He just wanted to know how and why this man was on the roof.

"I can't get down!" The man called back.

"Do you need some help?" Ralis asked.

"Nope. I'm fine. I've been up here for a while."

"How do you eat?" The question seemed to shock and confuse the man. Apparently he didn't even know. "Are you sure you don't need help?"

"Well…" He stopped to think. "No. I'll just stay up here and look at the mountain. Do you see that cloud over it? Something's wrong."

"Yes. I can see that. It's active which means it could possibly erupt." Ralis answered. "And that's a problem. It really needs to be taken care of."

"Tell me about it." The observing man finally spoke. "That mountain makes that part of the sky look so violent and threatening I just can't bare to look at it."

"So you watch the other side of town?"

"I just can't stand it when anyone is up higher than me." The man answered. "I have to be at the top."

"That's a good way to get struck by lightning." Ralis said looking briefly before beginning the climb back down. Link had gone inside the brick building a moment ago and hadn't come out yet. He noticed the man at the top of the tower had stopped moving and was just staring up at the sky. More than likely making sure there wasn't a thunder storm coming. He couldn't help but smirk. He had nothing against that man but having to be at the top in such a literal way was just silly.

He checked his inventory to see whether or not he was short on something. He could always use some more arrows. "Stupid beamos." He grumbled. He wouldn't always be short on arrows if those annoying statues weren't everywhere. He used to try and run past them but learned not to risk it after being zapped the third time. The concentrated dark energy that they fired at him really hurt.

"Hey!" Someone shouted.

Ralis turned to see a man with long auburn hair covering his eyes wearing moss green clothing. And it wasn't clean. The man looked very dirty and down on his luck. He reminded him very much of a boy named Soal he'd met in Castle Town. Not in appearance of course but in volume. The first time he'd met Soal was when he'd walked close to a rather ritzy shop and he'd quite bluntly told him his shoes were filthy. It was the way he'd made money he had to guess. It didn't really matter. The point was that they were both very shrill when trying to get attention.

"Yes, what is it?" Ralis asked.

"Sell me something!"

"Sell you something?" That was an odd request from a beggar. Usually they wanted you to give them money, not the other way around. "Well…" He reached back into his pouch and looked at what he had in the bottles. His last fairy had been used a few days ago, one was filled with lantern oil, another still had a bottle filled with the Great Fairies Tears, and the other had Rare Chu Jelly. "I can't give you the lantern oil but I guess you can have one of the others."

"I don't want that!" He answered.

"Alright." Ralis sighed a bit relieved. He really didn't want to part with either of those. "What do you want?" He asked putting the bottles away.

"Got any fish!"

"Sadly no." Though he was feeling hungry and fish sounded really good right about now.

"Blue fire!"

"Sorry…?" Ralis had never heard of that before.

"Bugs!"

"Bugs?" Now this man was looking more like Agitha the Princess of Insects. And thanks to her he was pretty sure he **did** have some bugs in the other pouch. He reached into it and resisted the urge to laugh when all the bugs started crawling all over his hand. He felt them crawling up his arm but didn't worry. These bugs were harmless. "Would any of these be of interest to you?" He asked revealing his arm covered with the golden insects.

"Where did you find those?"

"Around." Ralis shrugged. "Want any?"

"Yes!" He answered clearly wanting them. "They're so shiny and sparkly!"

"Take some." The blonde prompted.

"I have nowhere to put them!"

"Oh…" That's right. He couldn't take any flying bugs or else they'd just leave and a beetle might have a tendency to bite. "Hmm." This was something interesting to think about. He had given some bugs to Agitha so he didn't have all the options but the dragonfly and butterflies were out. So was the male stag beetle. He did have a slug and an ant but those were so small they could be lost. He looked down to see one of his favorite bugs crawling across his index finger. "How about this pill bug?" He said picking it up in his right hand so he could put the others away. "It doesn't go very far and I think it likes people." He could assume that much. The little pill bug had always found some way to slip out of the pouch and he'd occasionally catch it crawling around on his shoulders from time to time.

He outstretched his right hand and offered the little golden ball the bug had rolled into. The man put his hand out and waited for the bug to open back up and crawl around some more. Ralis guided the bug so that it crawled into the beggar's hand and rested there.

"How much do you want for it?" He asked.

"I don't need any money." Ralis answered. "But would you happen to know if there is a place where I can purchase some arrows?"

"In the Bazaar behind me!"

"Thank you." The blonde answered leaving to head up the stairs to the nearest building. It had a large wooden sign out front that simply said "Bazaar" with an interesting picture that resembled a human. The door was open since it was a nice day and he could see that the shop owner greatly resembled the picture on the sign.

"Welcome!" The large man bellowed.

The combination of the loud noise and the man's size made Ralis feel a slight twinge of intimidation but he knew it was mostly because of the noise. Loud noises were something he didn't handle very well. It made his ears droop down about halfway as he walked inside. But he did see that this man was selling arrows. And he did have a smile on his face. He waved shyly to the man at the counter. This guy was a little funny but not quite like Barnes with his "brother" and nothing was weirder than Chudley and his dancing. This man simply looked like he belonged in an asylum rather than running a shop in town.

"Hi Link, haven't seen you in a while."

"H-muh… Wait. I'm not Link." He told himself more than the shop owner. "I'm Ralis."

"What?" The man asked. "You're not? But you… whatever. What can I get for you?"

"Just give me a bundle of thirty arrows please."

"Alright." The man replied handing him the bundle in exchange for the rupees they were worth.

After leaving Ralis paused outside for a moment to put the bundle into his quiver and continued on to the shop across the way. This one had the door closed but the front of the shop had a big window instead of a sign to let in the light. He opened the door cautiously to be sure he wasn't intruding and stepped inside to see a young man with long brown hair and blue eyes. The shop was larger than the bazaar and had a hallway to the left of the counter leading to a door out back. The shelves behind the shop keeper were covered in many interesting items and stood in front of a back room full of books.

"Hey there!" The brunette said cheerfully. "I remember you although I don't think we've actually met."

"Really…?"

"Yeah. A few days ago I helped heal your wounds."

"That was you? I guess that makes this the medicine shop." Since he was reminded of it he put a hand to his neck to feel the bandage under his shirt.

"That would be correct." The young man nodded. "I feel it's too soon to do a follow up. But can I interest you in something else?" He gestured to the shelf behind him. "A fairy spirit or maybe a poe soul?" He asked. Ralis shook his head. "Alright then. If you're looking for Granny's shop it's out back." He pointed to the hallway.

'_Do I really want to go there?'_ He wondered. After a minute or two he decided there was no harm in it and exited the Medicine Shop through the back door. The door took him back outside to a small fenced in area with another set of stairs leading up to the house with the blue roof. He could smell whatever was inside Granny's shop from outside. It made him reconsider going in. If the smell was strong now he could only imagine how bad it would be inside.

He tried walking as far as the door but the smell only got worse. He was about to turn around when the door opened and a little old woman was standing there with a sour look on her face. The very potent smell inside came wafting out and into his face, he could only hope it wouldn't stick to him the way the odor of the monsters would.

"What do you think you're doing leaving? Get inside." The woman said cricking her boney old finger. She turned to go back inside but left the door open for him and now he was even starting to see colorful fumes pouring out the doorway. He took a few steps back to see if Link had come out yet, he hadn't.

"Oh well… it was nice having a sense of smell…" He sighed walking into the shop and leaving the door open. He was hoping he'd get away with it until he left but she looked up from her counter and gave him a stern look. _'I guess that means shut the door.'_ He told himself while doing so. The shop had been bearable while the fumes were venting out the door but now they had nowhere to go and quickly spread through the building. He could see that the fumes were coming from three large ceramic jars behind the counter. Each one had a very powerful yet distinct scent. He also noted that the light source for the shop seemed to be torches on the back walls. That added plain old smoke to everything and didn't help with the smell one bit. All the different smells seemed to be fighting for dominance and it burned the inside of nose. He would wince every now and again whenever a certain combination of scents hit his senses and stung his nostrils. But he did his best to ignore it. The old woman wasn't bothered by it at all. He briefly wondered if she still had her sense on smell but quickly remembered she must have.

"Yes, I know who you are. You still smell of the bacteria on a ReDead's teeth." She said sitting behind the counter. A moment later a small tiger-like feline hopped up to sit in front of her and she began to pet it as it fell asleep.

She must not have been able to see very well because she wasn't laughing at the look on Ralis' face. _'I still smell like…?'_ He made a small sound of disgust and cringed slightly.

"Come behind the counter." She said still petting the animal. She gave Ralis a look of disapproval when he jumped over the counter instead of using the gate to the right of it. "Untie your shirt." She said ceasing to pet the cat.

"What? Why?" Ralis asked a little shocked by the request.

Granny didn't answer. She just started drumming her fingers impatiently.

"Right…" The blonde answered fumbling with the laces keeping his shirt closed.

"Come down here." She ordered. Ralis complied by kneeling down in front of her so she could see better. "Well, aren't you the handsome one." She cackled seeing the boy's face go pink. This _was_ the first time she'd been able to see him clearly since she didn't have glasses. "I bet you hear that a lot." She said undoing the bandage around his neck. "But this would be enough to keep the girls away…" She trailed off looking at the wounds. "Just as I thought."

"What?" Ralis asked trying to look but they were out of sight. Granny pulled out a small mirror from under the counter and held it up. The image made the blonde fall backwards in surprise. It was one of the most disgusting things he'd ever seen and it was on **his **neck. He wanted to puke again but refrained from doing so. The bites were healing but not by much so they were still more or less open, just numb. The places where the teeth had broken the skin were black and dead with the skin around it red and irritated. It was as though seeing it had woken up the nerves because now it stung a lot worse than his nose did. "What is that?" He shouted sitting back up and grabbing the mirror. The one above his collarbone even had a ring of brown around the red.

"They're infected." Granny answered. "But it looks like the infection hasn't begun to spread yet. Good thing you came to see me."

"Can you fix it?" Ralis asked still looking in the mirror.

"Of course I can." Granny said getting to her feet and shuffling over to one of the jars. "Animal's mouths are filthy and filled with all sorts of bacteria. Especially the saliva of dogs and cats, even a human's mouth is bacteria ridden. Most people don't realize this and are surprised by what they get when their dog bites them or licks an open cut. Bites have to be washed and re-bandaged daily no matter what kind of potion you use." She scooped out some of the purple liquid in the jar and walked back. "Now people think that's awful. But you don't even want to know all the bacteria those ReDead got into you."

"Why's this one worse?" Ralis asked pointing to the one above his collarbone.

"There must've been a lot of saliva built up in that one's mouth." She said covering her fingers in the liquid and dabbing them on the wound on the crook of his neck. He shuddered from the slight twinge of pain but relaxed when the pain stopped. Before long it even started to tingle. He watched her apply the stuff to the second wound and wrap a new bandage around his neck. "You can close up your shirt now." She waved her hand dismissively.

"Thank you." Ralis answered standing up and handing her the mirror. She put it back in a drawer under her desk and pulled out a new roll of bandages.

She put the bandages on the counter and got back up to walk over to the jar once more. "Do you have an empty bottle?" She asked holding out her hand. He nodded and handed her the bottle which she filled up and handed it back. "Take this and the bandages with you and reapply it whenever it starts to burn." She instructed. "And the next time you're in town come and see me. This isn't a quick fix but we did catch the infection."

"Alright." Ralis nodded. He thanked her again before leaving. She hadn't even charged him anything for the medicine. _'She's really not that bad.'_

Link was sitting on the steps outside the shooting gallery waiting for Ralis to appear. He'd only gone inside for a few minutes and when he came out the boy was gone and hadn't shown himself yet. He checked through his own inventory just as something to do. He'd been hanging around this town for a couple of days after all, he'd already made sure he had everything he needed. He'd even paid a visit to the Skulltula House to lift the curse on another one of the family members. It was great that they'd given him a larger wallet but he couldn't find much money lying around here to fill it with.

"Hey Navi?" He asked looking around for the fairy.

"What is it Link?" She answered coming out of his hat.

"Do you think Rauru would know who this other Link is?"

"I don't know. Maybe. He seemed to know a lot." She said flying in figure eights out of boredom. "Why the sudden curiosity? I thought you trusted him."

"I do. I never said I didn't. I just want to know who he is." He said continuing to look around for another blonde in green. "Do you have something against him?"

"Not at all. I actually like him. He seems more mature than another blonde I know."

"Now Navi, you **know** that's not fair." Link sighed feeling as though she was doing this on purpose.

"I'm only getting back at you for forgetting me outside yesterday." The fairly laughed.

"How many times do you want me to say I'm sorry? I really am."

"I know you're sorry." Navi replied bluntly. "But that doesn't magically fix it." She flew around his head a couple of times in a taunting manner; hoping to get a rise out of him when he suddenly stood up and took off towards the windmill. "When it's not a puzzle or an obstacle your attention span is dwindling." She sighed.

Ralis had explored everywhere around the windmill and had an interesting encounter with a dancing couple. As if it weren't strange enough that their names were Honey and Darling they had the odd tendency to spin in one spot. He didn't even try to talk to them, they were way too wrapped up in each other for any small talk. He'd only caught their names when they would occasionally compliment each other. They had a starry eyed gaze in their eyes that he'd seen before. Although the couple he'd met didn't dance. But they were constantly sitting at the same table at the same café. And they would talk to him if he'd bothered them but all they ever did was obsess about how the fortune teller had made it possible for them to be together. He had no problem with Madame Fanadi, she'd come across as a fraud at first but her predictions were actually accurate.

He'd reached out to open the door of the windmill when someone grabbed his wrist.

"Trust me, you don't want to go in there." Link told him with a serious look on his face.

"What's in there?" Ralis asked pulling his wrist out of the blonde's grasp.

"A very angry phonograph player." Navi answered flitting in from nowhere it seemed.

"All he does is talk about how this ocarina kid ruined everything and how he's going to mess him up the next time he sees him." Link shrugged. "It's weird and not worth the waste of time. Anyway, social time's over. We need to get going."

Ralis gave a quick nod before walking off towards the mountain trail.

Once they got up to the gate which used to separate the mountain and the village Link stopped briefly. Ralis heard the other footsteps stop and turned to see his companion staring at the gate for some strange reason. He was tempted to ask why but felt that he wouldn't get an answer so continued walking. Link would be forced to follow eventually since he'd expressed a concern about getting a certain distance apart from each other only a moment ago. He'd said that he didn't want Ralis to get lost and land himself in some trouble. He'd shown no response at the time but inwardly he scoffed. He was aware that there was a possibility of trouble and especially if he made the mistake of getting cocky but he was more experienced than Link was. Or at least he was more experienced than he appeared to be. He was able to kill the monsters so easily in Hyrule, the ones they had here couldn't be much stronger.

He had gone a few yards ahead before he finally heard Link running after him. He'd expected to get scolded but Link was silent. Ralis glanced at him a few times out of the corner of his eye to see that there was a frown on his face and his eyebrows were furrowed together. It wasn't hard to see that something was bothering him. But he couldn't ask. Even though Link had called him his friend in the village they weren't. They hadn't known each other long enough to be friends. Ralis certainly owed him for saving his life and wasn't unwilling to become friends but he knew it wasn't yet acceptable for him to ask about such things. At this point he had to remain at a certain distance in more ways than one.

"Be careful." Link warned when he saw monsters coming into view.

Ralis looked to see what looked like a spider with four legs. "What is that?"

"It's a Tektite." Link answered drawing his sword. "Watch out for when they jump."

"A Tektite?" It couldn't be. It didn't look like the ones he'd faced before. It was much too bulky. Its eye was red instead of purple. There were a bunch of differences. _'Is it a different breed for this region.'_ He thought while drawing his own sword.

Link was already fighting the first one so he ran past them knowing there'd be another one not far away. And sure enough there was a second one coming down the trail hearing the commotion from the other. Ralis blocked it from going any further by jumping out and confronting it. It was surprised for a moment but then simply started hopping madly.

It was jumping higher and faster than the ones Ralis had fought before. He was finding it difficult to aim and stuck with blocking rather than swinging his sword around. This form of Tektite also must've been more resilient, due to its bulky form, because it kept attacking no matter how many times it hit its head against his shield. _'Interesting.'_ He thought before pushing it back. That appeared to confuse it again but not for long. It got low to the ground and sprang forward toward the blonde only to have Ralis jump out of the way. Knowing that the sudden disappearance would confuse it once again Ralis stepped up from behind and plunged the Master Sword through its hard shell and right through the eye.

He looked over to see that Link had just finished with slicing his in half. Ralis pulled his sword out of the ground and gave him the thumbs up before they both moved on.

Further up the trail they had to start watching out for falling rocks before going out to fight. The mountain was shaking every now and then and the rocks were rolling down the trail from the top. Sometimes they'd even roll over the Tektites before either Ralis or Link could get to them. And soon they came upon a cavern. Ralis was curious as to what was inside but Link told him it wasn't important and the moved on further up the trail. Eventually the Tektites stopped appearing and they could just stroll up the trail without anything bothering them.

"Where does this trail lead?" Ralis asked after a while of walking in silence.

"The trail we're on goes to Goron City." Link answered looking up towards the top. "If we had taken a left turn a way back it would've taken us to the crater at the top."

"Goron City?" Ralis gasped. "There are Gorons here?"

"Yeah. But something doesn't feel right." He looked around before staring at the ground. "There should be some Gorons on the trail but I haven't seen any."

"Do you think something happened to them?"

"I'm almost certain of it." Link said continuing up the path.

'_What kind of monster could bring himself to hurt the Gorons?'_ Ralis thought as he followed. _'They're strong and proud but wouldn't harm anyone unprovoked.'_ But remembering the Gorons of Hyrule forced him to rethink that. The first Goron he'd seen had pushed him off a cliff and the second one had punched him in the gut with the force of a rock. After trying to get into their mines he was lucky to be alive. They'd still hurt him pretty badly even after he'd gone to get the iron boots from Bo. _'So they will hurt you I guess… but they'll feel bad about it.'_ He told himself to make his previous statement half right.

Another few minutes passed and they were at the entrance of the village. Link was very concerned by this point. The mountain had gone quiet. There was no sign of life anywhere aside from a plant in a fenced in area. Ralis had never seen a plant like before. It had leaves surrounding it but where the flower should've been there was a bomb. Unfortunately Link was in such a hurry he didn't have the chance to check it out before they had to leave.

Link ran through a large tunnel in the mountainside and didn't look back. Ralis had to follow him to make sure there wasn't a monster waiting in there. It was true that Link had been worried about _him_ being the reckless one but Ralis was also concerned about getting separated. Link was green after all. He'd decided it was his job to look after him for as long as they were traveling together.

The tunnel opened up to a large crevice that had been carved out of the mountain's interior. It was cut in layers with each on growing smaller so the one above had a ledge to walk on. The topmost layer had a plank jutting out and a rope extending from it. The rope led to another large chunk of wood shaped into a platform with an empty stand and had two more ropes connecting to it and leading to other spots on the ledge. This allowed it to be suspended over the center of the city. Ralis also saw posts around the doorways painted with a different color depending on the layer where they stood and lantern posts scattered everywhere. But the biggest thing he could see about this city was that it appeared to be empty. There were no Gorons nearby and none that he could see on any of the other levels.

Link had run to the closest doorway and was searching the city while Ralis peered down to see something rolling around on one of the lower ledges. He went to follow Link down the steps to reach next layer of the city.

The two of them got there right as the Goron rolled by. Link attempted to chase it but it was moving too fast and he gave up until it came around again. This time he tried shouting to it but nothing happened.

"He won't stop!" Link growled with slight frustration.

"Don't worry about it." Ralis said reaching into one of his pouches. He pulled out two shining items and a moment later they grew into a pair of iron boots.

"Where were you keeping those?" Link asked raising his eyebrows.

"The same place I keep all my items." Ralis answered pulling the boots over the ones he already had on. "They shrink when I put them away and grow when I take them out. I didn't understand it at first but it's pretty convenient considering all the stuff I had to carry with me. This way I can be fully equipped and still travel light." He looked at Link to see that the only things he was actually carrying were his sword and shield. "I'm guessing the same happens for you."

"Yeah…" Link nodded faintly. "How are you going to stop the Goron with those?"

"I've got this." Ralis answered stepping out into the Goron's path. It'd just passed by before he stepped out so he had some time to wait.

"What's he doing?" Navi asked. Link couldn't do any more than shake his head and shrug.

The Goron was rounding back and had just passed under the plank above when Ralis planted his feet firmly on the ground and put his hands out in front of him; the way he would when a goat charged him. The Goron rolled straight into him and pushed him back slightly. Since the iron boots gave him the proper leverage he grabbed the boulder-like creature in his hands and swung it around so that it hit the rock wall. The force of the impact was minimal but since it was a Goron it left a mark.

"Ouch!" The Goron yelled. "How could you do this to me?"

"I'm sorry but I had to stop you somehow…" Ralis scratched the back of his head. He looked to Link for help but the blonde was staring in awe.

"You, you're Ganondorf's servant!" The Goron accused.

"No! I would never-"

"Hear my name and tremble! I am Link! Hero of the Gorons!"

That caught Link's attention. "Excuse me?" He strode up to the Goron with an amused look on his face. "You're Link? Interesting, I thought I was."

"What?" The Goron asked. "Your name is also Link? Then you must be the legendary Dodongo Buster and Hero, Link!" He looked very happy but then confused. "Or… is it… him?" He pointed to Ralis.

"Nope." Ralis replied. "I'm not Link. Your first guess was right."

"Ohh…" The Goron answered. "My Dad is Darunia, do you remember him?"

"I do." Link nodded.

"Dad named me Link after you, because you're so brave!" The Goron smiled. "It's a cool name! I really like it!"

"I liked it too…" Ralis mumbled. It got him a quick backwards glance from Link. But the Goron didn't appear to have heard, he just carried on.

"Link, you're a hero to us Gorons! I'm so glad to meet you! Please give me your autograph! Sign it: To my friend, Link of the Gorons!"

"I would love to but isn't there something more important going on right now?" Link asked looking a little flustered. He'd obviously never had to deal with fans before. Ralis considered introducing him to his fangirls Kili, Hannah, and Misha in Castle Town. Ever since he'd won the S.T.A.R. game they'd been stalking him through the town and screaming when he looked at them. He was just happy that they ran away whenever they got too worked up. He would seriously dread going into town if they didn't. The following and screaming was bad enough. He was curious as to how Link would handle it though. Was he a lady's man or was he awkward? He hadn't seen him interact with any girl in the scope of his age so he had no concept to go off of.

"Please help everyone!" The Goron shouted. "My Dad, Darunia, went to the Fire Temple. A dragon is inside! If we don't hurry up, even my dad will be eaten by the dragon!" He started to cry after that. Link had been put into a really awkward position now. He looked like he was on the verge of breaking out into a sweat. He was trying his best to console the Goron but nothing he tried was working. It was funny for a moment but Ralis couldn't just let him continue on like that.

"Calm down." He said walking up next to Link. "You need to tell us what's going on or we can't help you. Now what is this dragon?" He'd never faced a dragon before.

"A long time ago there was an evil dragon named Volvagia living in this mountain. That dragon was very scary! He ate Gorons! Using a huge hammer, the hero of the Gorons… BOOM! Destroyed it just like that. This is a myth from long ago, but it's true! I know, because my dad is the descendant on the hero!" The Goron answered still sobbing slightly.

"Okay." Ralis sighed. That was a lot to take in. "Where's everyone else?"

"Everybody was taken to the Fire Temple…" He sniffed.

"And?" Ralis asked.

"All of them will be eaten by Volvagia!" The Goron sobbed. "Dad said Ganondorf has revived Volvagia. As a warning to those who might oppose him he's going to feed them all to the dragon!"

"So he just needs to make an example of someone." Link growled. "Disgusting."

"Tell me something I don't know." Ralis replied thinking of the late Zora Queen. It was one of the hardest things he ever had to put up with. It always pained him to see her ghost.

"Dad went to the Fire Temple all by himself to try and save everyone." The Goron continued. "Please help, Link!" He wailed.

Link was finally able to step up and make the next statement. "Don't you worry about that. I'll go to the Fire Temple and bring everyone home! This is taking things too far, I'll make Ganondorf pay for what he even tried to do!"

"How do we get to the Fire Temple?" Ralis asked.

"I can tell you a secret way." The Goron said jumping up. "But before I do you'll need this." He held something out for Link to grab. It looked like a bunch of red fabric. "The temperature inside the temple is dangerous for humans. This is a heat resistant tunic."

"Thanks." Link replied. "But what about him?" He gestured to Ralis.

"I'm sorry. I only have one. I didn't know there were two of you." The Goron shrunk down. "It'll cost you but the Goron at the shop sells them."

"That's alright." Ralis said walking back over to the stairs. "I don't mind. I **am** an unexpected tag along."

"You're sure?" Link asked heading in a different direction to change.

"I'm positive." Ralis smiled. He couldn't let it get to him. This wasn't his world. He was an intrusion on Link's journey. No one was aware of his existence in his country. And as far as he knew Ganondorf was unaware that he was here. But he was a little bothered by one thing. The Light Spirits had told him that Hyrule was the kingdom that housed the relic of the Triforce and he'd assumed it was the only one. So then what was all this? Why was there another with the Triforce of Courage. What's more, why did they behave as though he was the one who shouldn't have it. What was this place? _'Perhaps I'm getting this wrong…' _He had some thinking to do.

**(A/N)** I know nothing really happened in this chapter and I apologize for that but I'm happy with it. But on another note, I hate imposters in video games. I always want to beat them up but they never let you. It is beyond frustrating for me. I guess the Goron was okay but if imposters make you as mad as they make me then don't play Tales of Symphonia. It's a great game but I wanted to KILL the fake Lloyd and it never let you fight them. Probably because they were wimps. Ah well.


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N)** I hope this chapter turns out more exciting than the last one. I certainly had to do a lot of YouTube viewing for this one. I am playing the game as I'm writing this but I already did the Fire Temple and couldn't remember the little details. Also, I realize it took a while but I finally got Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and find myself playing it for hours every day. As a result I'm kind of in a Kingdom Hearts mood but not quite.

In the Pit of a Palisade

Ralis stepped out of the shop with his new tunic. It wasn't as expensive as he thought it would be. It cost him two hundred rupees. His wallet held six hundred and had been full for quite a while. Now all he had to do was switch his green tunic with the red one. He looked around to make sure no one was around and didn't find Link. "He must not be back from changing yet." He shrugged before taking off the green clothing. "I probably shouldn't wear chainmail in there…" He said taking that off as well.

"What are you doing?" Navi gasped.

"Changing. Where do you keep on coming from?" Ralis asked slipping on the red tunic.

"Link asked me to come find you. I didn't think you'd be changing right out in the open."

"I have an undershirt and pants on. What does it matter?"

"It doesn't." The fairy answered. "I'm just not used to it."

He finished fastening the belts back into their positions and attaching the scabbard and the shield onto his back while walking off rolling his eyes. He was pretty sure at this point that Navi was simply a prude and found a lot of things improper. He'd changed in public places before. No one had a problem with it back in Hyrule. He never went so far as to completely strip in any place where someone could see him; it was obvious that he couldn't do that.

"So where's Link?" He asked stretching. It'd been a while since he'd last gone without chainmail. It wasn't too heavy when he had it on but when taken off there was a big difference.

"He should be here momentarily. I thought it would take longer to find you."

"The shopkeeper didn't mind me changing in front of his store." Ralis shrugged. "It's no different than changing a jacket."

"Right." Navi replied defensively. "I knew that."

"Then why do you keep bringing it up?" He smirked.

The conversation had potential to turn into a lengthy argument but was ended right then and there when Link hopped down to them. The fairy flew behind him and didn't reappear. Ralis had been curious as to where she always went when she disappeared, he'd been wondering about it for a while. It wasn't something that would drive him crazy; it was just a surprise every time she would pop out. But he still didn't feel like he had the right to ask any questions at this point.

"Is it really bothering you?" Link asked the other blonde.

"Is what bothering me?"

"Changing your name. Do you resent me for it?" He reworded the question but Ralis still had to think about it and found it hard to answer. "You just behaved as though you hated it back there."

'_Did I?_' Ralis asked himself. He was a little belligerent when they were talking to the Goron. But he never thought Link would take it so seriously. "Don't worry about it. I just need to get used to it. It's nothing that needs to get in the way." He walked away so the topic had to be dropped but didn't get far before he realized he had no idea where they were going.

Link continued to watch him as he walked away. The similarities were really starting to creep him out. The way he talked, the way he walked, his eyes, a fair share of his mannerisms, they were all things he did. Even if they were brothers they would've been separated their entire life. The chances of him being so much like Link were slim if anything at all. It would require them to be raised in a fairly similar manner and what were the odds of that? He had to talk to Rauru as soon as possible. But he didn't know how to contact him. He now knew how to talk to Saria whenever he wanted but there was no song to allow him to speak with the old man. And maybe it wasn't even the sage he needed to talk to but he had to figure this out. There was such a barrier between them at this point. It made him feel like he couldn't talk to his companion. His attitude was telling him to stay away.

'_Does he hate me?'_ Link wondered.

"Are we going to go slay a dragon or what?" Ralis called back over his shoulder.

"Yep." Link answered walking toward a doorway to the north of the shop. "The Goron told me there was a secret entrance in his father's chambers."

He stepped over to what looked like a place-mat before the door and motioned for Ralis to follow; waiting briefly for him to catch up. They both approached a statue that vaguely resembled a Goron. It stood between two torches and was surrounded by markings on the walls around it. Link tilted his head before grabbing it. Ralis decided to simply observe this time and let Link do the heavy lifting. It sounded as though it took a lot of effort but the statue gave way and came loose from the wall. He checked behind it while Link continued to pull and saw that there was a hole. He stepped into the tunnel and saw a dim glow of red on the other end.

"Is that the way in?" Link asked.

"Looks like it." Ralis said turning back to make sure he was following. "It also looks really hot down there. Are these tunics really going to be enough to keep us alive?"

"They should be." Came the short reply.

The two proceeded with caution through the passage and saw the red glow get brighter as they came closer to the mouth of the volcano. The temperature did rise significantly. They could feel it for a short time but it didn't go beyond a certain point. The air was still breathable. Admittedly it got a little heavy but not so much that it bothered them. The tunnel opened up into a crater and the heroes stepped out onto a ledge. There was smoke rising from the lava deep in the pit but they could still see the blackened sky. Ralis saw that the area was filled with planks and bridges. It was almost like a more primitive form of the Goron mines. Beyond a sign here and there it wasn't much to look at. So Link went straight to business by looking for a way to get from the ledge to the broken bridge a few feet away.

There was a post sticking out of the rock above it and it looked like the perfect place to launch onto and land safely. He searched through his things for the Hookshot Dampé had given him, took a moment to aim, and fired. He easily flew across the lava and onto the bridge. Now all he had to do was wait and see if Ralis could make it. It was just beyond the distance he could jump and he could see that it was too far for the other blonde as well. He started to wonder if he was going to have to throw him the Hookshot when Ralis reached back into his pouch again. This time instead of iron boots it was a similar device to what he had used. It was held in the hand but instead of a pointed head it had three large steel claws at the end. When it fired Link watched it fly and stop short on the post. He also noticed the claws wrapped around and gripped the post so that when Ralis was pulled over it didn't just drop him. He hung there momentarily and then released it.

"Good." He said putting away his Hookshot. They moved to proceed but were stopped when something jumped down in front of them. Another blonde wearing a blue outfit similar to Impa's, but less revealing. Most of his face was covered but one red eye was visible while the other was covered by his hair. Ralis reached up and put a hand on his sword but Link grabbed his arm before he could draw it. "No. He's a friend."

Ralis looked at Link and then back at the newcomer. This young man didn't look evil but the fact that he kept his face covered made him look shady. Still, Ralis nodded and relaxed his grip on his sword. Once he finally let it go the young man stood and walked towards them.

"It is something that grows over time… a true friendship. A feeling in the heart that becomes even stronger over time…" He said stopping a few feet away from them. His gaze went to Ralis for a second but then returned to Link. "The passion of friendship will soon blossom into a righteous power and through it; you will know which way to go…" He looked at Ralis again as though he was very bothered by the fact that he was there but said nothing of it. "This song is dedicated to the power of the heart… Listen to the Bolero of Fire…"

'_Bolero of Fire? Who is this guy?'_ Ralis frowned.

The red eyed blonde took out a lyre and began to play a sequence of notes. Ralis couldn't make much out of it. He just listened until he stopped playing. It sounded very soothing. And then the instrument changed to that of a wind instrument. He looked next to him to see that Link was playing the song back to the man on a blue ocarina. Then they both started to play the tune harmoniously. Now its sound was even greater and became one of the most beautiful things Ralis had ever heard. He was almost sad when they stopped. Now they both acted as though he were invisible.

"Link…" The young man said putting the lyre away. "I'll see you again…"

The blonde shook his head and stepped forward as though he were going to reach out for him. Ralis saw a spark appear before Link's feet and grabbed him before he could go any further. As soon as he did a wall of fire appeared between them and the other man. Link looked around for a way to get past the fire but there was no time. The third blonde took a few steps back and threw something on the ground which created a blinding light. Once they could see again he was gone along with the fire.

"Why does he always leave?" Link asked looking up in an attempt to find him.

"Link, there's no time to look for him." Ralis answered pointing towards the only path.

Link looked at him a little frustrated but agreed. "You're right. The Gorons need our help."

They walked across the land bridge through the lava and came across a hole in the ground with a ladder going down. Ralis looked down it to confirm that it was too far to jump and followed Link down the ladder. It led to a room comprised of a large staircase and some doors. There were three statues at the top acting as torches with flames spitting out of their mouths. They split up to see how many of the doors were open and how many were locked. In the end there was only one way to go. They ran past the fire Keese and went through the only open door to the left of the statues.

Inside they found a large Goron with white hair jutting out every which way. Ralis only had to guess that it was Darunia. He folded his arms and looked around as Darunia and Link talked. The Goron was on the other side of the room and there was lava in between them so all Link and Ralis could do was listen. The message was pretty much the same as what they'd heard from his son. Ganondorf had awakened Volvagia and was going to sacrifice the entire Goron race as an example to those who might oppose him. It wasn't anything addressed directly to him so he only caught every other word.

Mostly he looked around the room to see what needed to be done. He could see that there was a cell containing a Goron to the left and nothing to the right. There were pillars rising up from the lava close enough to jump to. If they were there it was worth exploring the area. Then again, he didn't see a treasure chest. There were only jars. Looking up, there was a pillar coming out of the ceiling. _'That probably needs to come down somehow.'_

Darunia had already disappeared behind the door and locked it behind him not wanting the two boys to follow him. He was a little concerned about the outcome of his fight but not enough to allow others to be hurt when it was his duty to act. It was also a curious thing to see two boys appear instead of only Link. He had only known what to say to the boy he'd met seven years ago and having the other there was unnerving to say the least. Link had never struck him as the sort of person to ask for help. He looked more like the type to go it alone. But it was none of his business. He had other matters to deal with.

After the Goron had gone Link jumped onto the right ledge being several steps behind Ralis; who had to wait for Link. It wouldn't be fitting for him to open the cell and proceed without his partner. He wasn't exactly sure what his boundaries were but it was safe to assume that was overstepping them. Besides, he didn't want to completely deprive Link of any opportunity just because he got there first. His role was simply to provide back up if it was needed. Or that's the way Navi made it sound. And the last thing he wanted to do was make Link feel inadequate in comparison.

It didn't take long for Link to return to the center of the room. He didn't even appear to notice that Ralis hadn't followed him. "What's the matter?" He asked.

"Nothing. I was just thinking." He looked down at Link's hand to see him putting a bottle away. The light glow of it was a dead give away that he'd found a fairy in one of the jars. "Ready to go on?"

"Sure." Link shrugged walking past the blonde and hopping to the closest pillar on the left.

Ralis waited a minute before following after him. The interior of the temple was very hot even with the tunic on. It was just as bad as the Goron Mines but at least they had a hot spring and even rooms inside the temple were filled with cooling water. He highly doubted this place had anything like that. There was no sign of water in the city and it would've had to be coming from somewhere. His thoughts led him back to the wound on his neck. It was of little consequence but he realized there was no way to clean it if it started to bother him in here.

He jumped across to the ledge Link was now on and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Link had already discovered a button set in the floor and jumped on it opening the cell. The Goron looked confused and a little slow in the head.

"Are you releasing me? Am I free to go?" He asked rubbing his head.

"You are. Get out of here as fast as you can." Link answered stepping aside. "Don't worry about the others. They'll follow you as quickly as we find them."

"Alright." The Goron nodded striding out of the cell. He stopped next to Ralis with a questioning look. "Who are you? I don't know you as a brother."

"I am traveling with Link and I go by the name of Ralis for the time being. I am not a brother of the Gorons in this kingdom but rest assured I have gained their respect where I come from. You and your brethren are no strangers to me."

The Goron still looked confused but nodded again. "In order to get into the room where Darunia went, you have to do something about the pillar stuck in the ceiling." He said before leaving through the door they'd come in. Ralis smirked after he'd left. These Gorons were a lot simpler and silly than the ones he'd had to wrestle to gain entrance to the mine.

"What did he say?" Link asked pocketing a small key he'd found in a chest inside the empty cell.

"He confirmed that we need to knock down that pillar…" Ralis pointed. "That way we'll be able to jump across and enter the room Darunia locked himself in."

"There's probably a room above that will allow us to do that." Link mused, jumping back to the ledge with the door. "For now we'll simply have to free the Gorons while we search."

Once back in the main room, they now had a key to get them inside the door adjacent to their current position. The Fire Keese were on the ground stunned from what looked like a good punch from a Goron. Ralis rubbed just below his sternum and grimaced. He felt their pain, it wasn't pleasant. And since they were so small they'd probably be stunned for hours perhaps even a day.

The next room was filled with stone slabs propelled by blasts of flame and still filled with lava. A wooden bridge extended all the way across the length of the chamber and Link went charging across it. He came to a gap in the planks with a stone slab beneath it. He jumped down onto it and waited for one to be propelled towards him. Soon he made it to the right side of the room and into a hidden door by the use of a bomb. Inside was another cell holding a Goron.

Meanwhile Ralis stayed on the bridge and waited. Link had taken off so quickly once again it was as though he didn't need his help at all. Which he probably didn't. But he was better off doing this rather than sitting around and letting Link do everything. _'It couldn't hurt to go through the door on the left, could it?'_ He asked himself heading in that direction. But there was always the possibility that Link was in trouble and if he didn't go check now it might be too late. _'What if Ganondorf decides to make another appearance?'_ His eyes widened slightly. That was a terrifying thought. He glanced at the door Link had gone through and a second later a Goron came out of it. _'He's okay.'_ Ralis told himself going through his own door.

Inside was another cell and another Goron. For whatever reason it was sleeping even though the situation was grave. Ralis had to wonder how it had accomplished something like that. It could be eaten at any moment by a horrific dragon and it was sleeping.

"Wake up!" Ralis shouted jumping onto the switch to make the bars open. The sound of metal scraping across stone made the Goron utter a groggy sound. "C'mon! The door's open!"

"What?" The Goron asked. "Really?"

"Yes. We've come to save you." The blonde answered.

The Goron got up and stared. "Are you Link?" He said behaving like the others. "You've grown so big."

"No." Ralis shook his head. "I'm not Link. He's somewhere else in the temple saving the rest of you. Please hurry."

"Thank you!" The Goron said gleefully running out of the cell and disappearing out the door.

There was a small treasure chest inside this cell as well. It also contained a small key like the last one did. "I'll have to give that to Link…" He sighed. He walked down the hall and stuffed the key into his pouch. When he opened the door he was only able to take a few steps before he noticed he couldn't leave. There was a large stone block blocking the entrance. "Hey!" This had never happened before. He ran up and tried to push it but it wouldn't budge no matter how hard he tried. "Is anyone out there? Link!" He shouted pounding on the stone. "Link!"

In the meantime, Link was upstairs in a room made of tiles and battling a Like Like. He was doing his best to stay away from the gelatinous creature. He'd gotten too close when he first entered the room and only avoided being eaten when Navi screamed at him. Now he stayed a yard away from it at all times and had no idea how to beat it. Navi had scared him so much that he didn't dare to get any closer. Defending wouldn't do him any good. This thing could swallow him whole. It was basically a mouth. "Wait." Link told himself. "This thing is a mouth. That means it will eat a bomb!" He said throwing one at it. It actually didn't eat the bomb as expected. But the bomb went off right at its base and made it fall over. Still not wanting to get near it he just threw another bomb at it. He was very relieved when it melted away. It allowed him to focus on the Gold Skulltula he'd spotted on the wall. Killing it would help him get even closer to breaking the curse on the family in Kakariko Village.

"What happened to Ralis?" Navi asked following him back out to the bridge room.

"I'm not sure. I hope he didn't go too far." Link answered jumping down onto the stone block he'd moved to get up into that room. And he was very surprised when it made a noise after he got down. "What's that?" He asked putting his ear up next to it. The sound was a little muffled but he could still make it out.

"Link! Get this rock out of the way!" Ralis shouted. He was so glad to hear that Link was actually there. He'd thought he was going to be stuck in there until he died of starvation.

"How did you get in there?" Link gasped getting out his ocarina. He played the Song of Time hastily but it was still enough to magically move the stone block. The other red clad boy came running out of the small hall as soon as he could. He looked a little shaken but it would pass. If anything Link was more scared than he was. He could've potentially killed his partner. He now knew he must've moved the block while Ralis was in the room inside. If he'd been distracted Ralis could've been trapped forever. "I'm so sorry." He said over and over.

"I told you not to move that block!"The fairy scolded.

"Not now Navi, please!" Link begged. "I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention. Are you mad?"

"No." Ralis said trying his best to smile. He really wasn't mad but he wasn't in the best mood yet. "It's alright. We just probably shouldn't get separated again."

"Yes!" Navi piped up. "Stay together!"

The two frowned in response. They had both become accustomed to working alone and it was easy to slip into the old mindset.

They waited a few minutes to allow Ralis time to breathe before continuing. The next room was basically a fire spout shooting up into a hole in the ceiling. There was a block next to it that Link pushed on top of it. They saw that the pressure was still strong enough to push the block up through the hole and they both decided it was safe to ride it upward and see where it led. It was like the stalactites being carried up on the water spouts in the Lakebed Temple.

The block took them to another tiled room with one door to go through. It led to a room where they had to climb up some grating in order to get out. But the bottom of the grating was blocked by fire. They needed to hit a switch in order for the flames to go down briefly so they could climb safely. Before they could get to the switch they had to battle a couple of Torch Slugs. Link defeated his easily but Ralis was having some difficulty. These things were different from the slugs he was used to. The ones he'd handled before could be killed easily by coming at it from above; these had a constant flame coming out of their backs. He was careful not to get burned but it still took him a few spin attacks to kill it. By that time Link was already on the other side of the room.

Ralis got over to him just as he was hitting the switch. They both ran as fast as they could over to the grating before the fire could come back on. It was a close call but they were able to make it just before the flames came shooting back out. Ultimately they found themselves in a room like a maze.

"These Temples don't get any easier do they?" Link sighed.

"No. They may get less complex in structure but then the enemies are harder to defeat."

"Are you serious?" Navi groaned. "This is almost brutal."

"It's the way it works." Ralis shrugged. "If there was no challenge there would be no growth." He took a step out into the maze but instantly jumped back when a giant boulder rolled by. "Rolling rocks. How charming." He said sarcastically. "They're definitely not making it easy for you."

"It looks like there are even switches on top of the walls." Link said looking up.

"But I think there are still some Gorons on this floor. We need to stay together."

"Don't you think it'll be alright if I go left and you go right?" Link asked. "We can meet back here and I promise not to go through any doors without you."

"I guess that'll be okay…" Ralis looked at Navi. "Is that okay?"

"It can't hurt to try. It would save some time." That fairy answered following Link. He didn't make it very far either. A boulder came rolling right towards him and he was forced to cling against the wall in order to avoid being bowled over. After the rock passed he gave Ralis a thumbs up and continued on out of sight. He could see a Goron close by.

Ralis had found nothing but another Goron and a key. He thought it safe to assume all of the empty cells would contain keys. He'd just have to do the same thing he'd done last time. It still wasn't right of him to hold items. He turned to leave only to find the Goron was still standing there.

"I forgot to tell you!" He said folding his arms. "When you are on fire, you can put it out by swinging your sword or by rolling forward… Did you know that?"

"Uhh… yes. Ever heard of stop, drop, and roll?" Ralis asked.

"No…" The Goron answered with a frown. "Thanks for saving me!"

After the Goron had left he had nothing to do. There was nothing else on this side of the room. He had to go back to the entrance and wait for Link to return. Not that he was complaining. It gave him an opportunity to take a break. The heat of the temple was too intense to ignore forever. He was just glad this room wasn't filled with lava. But the air was still tight. He envied the Gorons at times like this. They didn't seem to even notice the heat.

"These Gorons are so different from the ones in Darbus' tribe." He sighed. They were all a bit childish and didn't look as though they were the very proud race they should've been. He convinced himself that they were simply calm in most situations and that any sort of judgment of them wasn't fair if he hadn't seen them fight. He wasn't there when Ganondorf's men came to drag them to the temple. They probably put up a good fight.

He leaned up against a nearby wall and slumped down. It took a few minutes but he soon heard footsteps and knew it could only be Link. "Find anything?" He asked as the blonde came around the corner. "I found another key."

"Really? So did I." Link said holding his hand out when Ralis offered him the item. "So now we're back up to two. That's great!"

"This place certainly lives up to its name." The younger man groaned. "It's easy to lose focus."

"You're telling me. And we don't even have the map yet." Link answered. "We haven't been here very long but it feels as though it's already been days. I want to get out of here but there's still so much farther to go."

"There's no time for whining!" Navi squawked. "C'mon Ralis! On your feet!"

"Alright, alright. I'm working on it." He mumbled while forcing himself to stand. _'It's probably just the heat but she's starting to get on my nerves.'_

Despite the fairy's constant badgering, he did his best to keep a good attitude. She would be a lot more bearable if she went back to her hiding place more often but this wasn't so. Unlike Midna she stayed out and chattered on about nothing. Eventually Ralis tuned it out. He had to. The next door they went through contained a room that was nothing but three interconnecting platforms of rock and a lot of empty space in between. He could see the fall would be a long one if he slipped. Link had already gone ahead of him and shot a target to open another door. He saw that he'd left the door open so that the bars previously over it wouldn't come out. It was still getting them separated but at least Link appeared to be keeping track of it after the incident he'd accidentally put Ralis through.

It wasn't long before Link came back out of the door holding a map. "We do still have quite a few rooms to explore." He sighed.

"Why do you wander off all the time?" Ralis asked. It was hard for him to remember he was now traveling with a companion but he figured Link would adjust quickly. Navi made it sound as though he were new at this. Ralis had been journeying with Midna for months and she was connected to his shadow; that was basically alone.

"I don't mean to. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering. You asked me not to go off alone but you seem to do it a lot."

"I'm sorry. I just thought you'd be alright alone." Link shrugged. "You're stronger than me… for now." He narrowed his eyes slightly but not in anger. He looked more determined than anything.

Of course he did. The two of them were young men after all. And as much as Ralis had thought he was the stronger one he wasn't so sure it was true. He may have been jumping to conclusions but it was difficult to kill that Tektite. Much more difficult than it should've been. He could tell the difference easily. Perhaps the breed here was simply smarter and knew how to keep themselves alive. It wasn't anything he was going to concern himself with as of yet; it was simply something that had caught his attention. He was so used to being able to kill those creatures without even thinking beforehand. This time around he'd had to do a lot more than that.

"Link!" Navi shouted, popping out from nowhere. "Focus! There are still Gorons who need help!"

"Yes Navi." He sighed before moving on.

The next door led them to a fairly boring room. There was a ledge to jump and grating hovering over the lava on the floor. But no immediate danger from what they could see. Of course none of them expected a wall of fire to spring up through the grating once they jumped onto it.

"How does that even work?" Ralis asked as he took off running.

"Don't ask me! Ask the crazy people who built this place!" Link replied hurriedly.

They climbed over the grating and jumped over the ledge on the other side. There were a few Red Bubbles that sprang up and tried to bite them as they went but it all inevitably led them back to the room containing the maze. Only now they were up high and could run across the top so long as they were careful not to fall.

Link went ahead to kill a Torch Slug but Ralis stood back and looked for danger before moving. When he looked up all he saw was a crack in the ceiling. It trailed across a short way and eventually broke apart to form a circular shape and came back together. He couldn't help but notice the piece was slowly slipping out of the ceiling as he was looking at it. His eyes went back down and followed where the slab would land to see that Link was going to be crushed.

"Link! Move!" He yelled before he jumped across the gap.

"Huh?" The blonde looked up briefly from the still fighting Torch Slug.

The slab of rock came loose from the ceiling and began to plummet towards him. Link, having finally noticed, froze.

Ralis ran to the area as fast as he could go and tackled Link to send them both flying out of harm's way. He got there just before the stone fell and went crashing through the floor, taking the Torch Slug with it.

The two boys just laid there for several moments afterword. Ralis had to breathe and Link had to get his heart to start. None of them had expected that. Link had inkling that the temples he explored were rather old but it had never occurred to him that the ceiling would come down on top of him.

"Pay attention to your surroundings!" Ralis scolded. He didn't mean to sound angry. He'd simply never seen such oblivious behavior. Sure, Link had seen the enemy before him but there could've easily been more hiding. It wasn't as though he hadn't made the same mistake. He just didn't want Link to learn the hard way with an arrow in his shoulder and an imp smacking him.

"I…" There really was no excuse for his incompetence. He was aware that Navi tried her best to warn him when it came to sneak attacks, but he also knew he couldn't rely on that, much less blame her. "Are you hurt?"

"No." Ralis sighed. He stood just to be certain that he wasn't lying to Link or himself. But he was right. Nothing was broken and no part of him had even been scraped by the rock.

"What about your neck?"

All Ralis did was cringe in response. He didn't even want to think about it. At some point he'd felt the wounds begin to sting due to the sweat, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Moving on…" Came the quick reply. "Wow! Look at that. There was a passage beneath here."

"I hear Gorons!" Navi screamed.

"What?" Link asked. "Down there?"

"Yes, let's hurry." The fairy breathed as she flew down the hole.

"Right!" The older boy answered. He looked back briefly to make sure Ralis was following before continuing downward.

Ralis did start to follow but something stopped him fairly quickly. There was a metallic wire wrapped around his ankle. His first response was to look for Link and found that he and Navi were already gone. He tried to pull his leg free and when that didn't work he tried to kneel down to take it off. That couldn't work. It was simple enough but whenever he tried the wire was pulled tighter. "What?" He sighed.

The moment he turned to look behind him the wire was pulled upward and caused him to fall flat on his face. "Ah! Ow…" He pushed himself up and put a hand to his face. "Whoever you are, knock it off! This is just cruel." He stood up and brushed himself off just before he heard someone jump down and land lightly behind him. His body went rigid and the stranger threw something on the ground. It released some sort of vapor which he inhaled before he had time to think.

Link had finished rescuing the Goron in the tunnel below and was currently climbing up the grating to get back. There was another opening at the end that led to some other room but he was wondering where Ralis had gotten to. He knew he saw him following but then he was just gone. "Do you think there was another monster up there?" He asked Navi.

"I'm not sure."

"What's going on here?" He'd reached the top to find that Ralis wasn't anywhere to be found. "Navi, I lost him again."

"Well that's just rude. He'd just asked you not to do that."

"What should we do?"

"There isn't time to go look for him. We can only move on and hope he catches up." The fairy said still flitting about. The other boy really was gone. She flew up high and couldn't see him anywhere.

"But he doesn't have the map. How's he going to find us?"

"I don't know. But I'm sure he'll be fine."

"I hope so…" Link sighed. He was a bit hesitant about continuing onward but Navi was right. There wasn't enough time for him to worry about his partner's whereabouts.

Ralis was unconscious and back in one of the first rooms in the temple. He lay on the dusty floor in front of the three large torches. His ears twitched at the sound of a lyre. He propped himself up as best he could but he still felt a little woozy. "What…?" His eyes focused on the one playing the lyre, the red eyed blonde from before. "What do **you** want?" He glared.

"Feeling hostile?"

"You drugged me and brought me all the way back here. How do you think I feel?" Ralis snapped.

"Just relax. It's a side effect to the black out. As is weakness of limbs so don't try to stand just yet." He put the lyre away and kneeled down beside him. "I only intend to have a word with you."

"Why didn't you just talk to me back there?"

"I needed to speak with you in private. Link would have only complicated things. And I didn't want you to make a fuss so…" He put two fingers to the young boy's neck. His pulse was still too high. "You need to calm down or the rage will take hours to subside."

It felt impossible from Ralis' point of view but, "Fine." He let out a deep breath. "What do you need to know? Who I am? Where I come from? Why I'm here? I'm Ralis. I come from the Ordona Province. And I don't know."

"Ordona Province? There's no such thing."

"Maybe not here-"

"Not anywhere." The young man interrupted. "There's nowhere in the world by that name."

"I wouldn't lie about that." Ralis argued.

"And yet you would lie about your own name?"

'_How does he know that?'_ He wondered but, "I'm not lying about it. An alias is still a name. And who are you to judge? You haven't even told me your name."

"I will tell you my name when you answer my questions."

"I already answered your questions! What does it matter if I only answered two truthfully?"

"There is no province of which you speak."

"Yes there is! Get an updated map! It's a small province neighboring the Kingdom of Hyrule!"

"What do you mean?" The mysterious blonde looked genuinely confused. "This _is_ Hyrule."

"What?" Ralis' jaw dropped. "That can't be right…!" Nothing about this place was right. He couldn't believe it. "You're lying. You've got to be! This place doesn't look anything like Hyrule!"

"I assure you it is."

"No, it can't be!"

"It is."

Ralis shook his head. What he was hearing wasn't possible. He'd been all around the Kingdom of Hyrule and this place had completely different landmarks, the castle looked all wrong, and the Gorons on Death Mountain were completely different. Not to mention Death Mountain wasn't supposed to be next to the castle. And he was almost certain those weren't the only changes. This had to be a different kingdom. Granted, the fact that Ganondorf was in control had to mean things weren't at their best but that land wouldn't have changed so drastically. And the people in the village at the base of the mountain were complete strangers. He'd been traveling long enough for everyone to know him wherever he went.

Nothing was making sense. He clutched his forehead and forced himself to stand. His head felt like it was going to burst. It was almost too much to take. His legs were still weak from the aftereffects but he refused to fall back down. Instead he walked away to the door he and Link had gone through, opposite from where they'd seen Darunia. He just had to get away from this man and think.

"Where are you going?" The blonde asked following him.

"I'm going back to Link." Ralis grumbled. "Stop following me."

"I cannot." He sighed. "You're not going to make it if you go on your own. I'll guide you."

'_I'd rather you didn't.'_ He rolled his eyes but kept going. There really was no reason for him to hate the man so much but his rage was focused on him.

He was also growing increasingly irritated by having to go through all of the rooms once again; undoubtedly it was easier than before with all the puzzles solved, but all of the monsters had returned. And his new mystery companion was right about his eminent peril had he gone on his own. His reaction time was significantly altered to the favor of the monsters. It was almost too much to even draw his sword, and even when he did he couldn't help but notice how heavy it was. But he refused to just sit by and do nothing. He would take a swing at a monster if it ever came close and he didn't miss. At first he had to hold the sword with both hands but as they progressed back through the temple he slowly regained his strength.

Eventually the two began to venture through rooms Ralis hadn't seen before. However they found all the treasure chests opened and the puzzles solved.

"It looks like Link has already been through here…" Ralis sighed before sitting down. The drug hadn't completely left his system and his legs demanded a break.

"It looks like he doesn't need you."

"I never said he did." His response was calmer than before although he was still frustrated that he didn't know the man's name. "He asked me to come along and I thought it couldn't hurt. I'm only here to provide back up when he needs it."

"Who are you?" The young man persisted. His eyes trailed down to the drawn sword Ralis was using to help support himself.

"I'm a traveler like Link."

"Perhaps you're more alike than you know." He pointed to the Master Sword. "Link carries that same blade. There is no other like it."

"Well it's not a fake if that's what you're implying." A fake wouldn't have broken the curse on him and he would've been stuck as a wolf to this day. He also couldn't think of a way for anyone to switch them. It was kept in the Sacred Grove and guarded by those statues and their puzzle. It wasn't the puzzle that would've stopped them though, but the statues themselves. Only someone like him would've been able to activate them. No one else appeared to be able to hear the melodies played by the Howling Stones.

"I do not think it's a fake. I only made an observation that the two of you seem to have overlooked. You both wield the Master Sword and yet there is only one in existence. Why do you think that is?"

"I don't know."

"Are you so reluctant to answer my questions because you distrust me?" He waited but Ralis didn't respond. He only looked at him momentarily before averting his gaze. "Very well. My name is Sheik of the Sheikah Tribe."

'_Like Impa…'_ Ralis nodded as he stood up. He felt like he was just about back to normal and was eager to proceed. "I suppose you want me to tell you my real name then?" He asked. "I guess you wouldn't have offered to help me if you were working for Ganondorf. And I can't really see how telling you my real name would hurt us."

"Whichever name you use it wouldn't matter. He'd still learn about you eventually." Sheik answered.

"I wasn't really aiming for secrecy." He muttered. "But… Believe it or not, my name is actually Link. I merely tell people my name is Ralis to prevent any sort of confusion."

"Intriguing to say the least." The Sheikah mused. "So you both wield the Master Sword, you are both named Link, _and_ on top of all that you look as though you could be blood relatives."

"I've been hearing that a lot." Ralis said under his breath. "Any idea what all of that means?" He honestly didn't want to think about it. Every time he did he'd come up with something crazy or just too coincidental to believe.

"I have one." Sheik replied. "Have you ever encountered something enabling one to traverse through time?" Ralis stared at him as though he had two heads. "Because if you do indeed come from a province neighboring Hyrule which either no longer or has yet to exist and you rule out what seems impossible what are you left with?" He looked to the young blonde but Ralis only continued to stare. "Do you carry a map of your land with you?" Ralis finally responded with a nod. "May I see it?"

"Sure." He said quickly taking his map out and handing it to him.

Sheik looked the map over and couldn't help but notice the obvious differences. Not only were certain locations different but there were also some areas missing and completely new lands were added. The geography was also completely off. "This doesn't look like any of the maps depicting the land in the past." Sheik said looking more closely. "And… I also don't recognize this style of script."

"Really?" Ralis asked.

"This confirms it." Sheik pointed to the back of the map. "I can read the numbers. This date has yet to occur. In fact it's almost a century into the future."

"What?" That was the second time Sheik had surprised him in such a way. "If you're joking it's not funny." He said taking the map back. "Is it possible that you've made a mistake?"

"Rule out what seems impossible and…" Sheik repeated.

'_It's not all that impossible… I was in the Temple of __**Time**__ after all.'_ Ralis thought. _'I just don't want to believe it.'_ He looked around at the room they'd just entered. It was one they'd already seen filled with labyrinths of flame walls that jutted out from the ground when approached. Ralis had ignored the hole in the grating in the front of the room when they'd first gone through due to the conversation; now he realized he shouldn't have. He looked down and saw that the room below was the very room where they'd met Darunia. Sheik peered down through and saw that the door had been unlocked. Not long after the entire temple shook with a monstrous roar.

"It sounds like he's already fighting Volvagia." Sheik remarked when Ralis ran past him.

The young hero didn't give a second thought to his actions beforehand. He just ran up to the pit and dove down into the room below.

"Reckless as well as naïve…" The Sheikah mused. "He could very well be Link's son." He looked a moment longer and then disappeared.

"Please let him be okay." Ralis gasped before jumping across the gap and pushing the heavy door upward just enough for him to get inside.

Once there he could see Link standing on a section of rock in the center of a lava filled room. There were holes spaced evenly throughout out it but no sign of the dragon. He continued to run, determined to get over to Link, but stopped at the edge. The gap was too far to jump and he could see no other way to cross. Instantly he began to look for his Clawshot but also kept an eye out for the beast.

Link kept his eyes on the holes in the ground just waiting for one to start flaring up. As soon as he saw one begin in the periphery of his vision he dashed over and waited. Volvagia stuck its head out and Link struck it with the use of the hammer he'd acquired. The heavy blow to the head stunned the dragon long enough for him to take a few slashes with the master sword, but not enough to kill it. Volvagia bolted up and tried to gut the blonde with its claws and made Link retreat. Once the young man was far enough away the dragon receded back into the ground only to come back up in a different area. Link attempted to hit it again but Volvagia flew upward out of the hole to the ceiling.

Link could no longer see what the dragon was up to but soon saw that whatever it was it was causing rocks to fall. He did his best to dodge to the larger ones and found that by doing so the more angered Volvagia became. Soon the rocks were falling at such a rate that they were almost impossible to dodge and one cracked over the top of his head.

Ralis watched him fall to the ground and couldn't wait any longer. Finally finding his Clawshot, he launched it at Volvagia's tail to get him across. The temperature difference between the two areas was immense, and it only got worse when he was close to the dragon. Still, he sprinted over to Link and stood his ground. Despite the newcomer Volvagia swiped at them and merely knocked Ralis out of the way. Causing him to tumble over to one of the far corners.

Link woke up just in time to roll away from the dragon's intended bite. He picked up his hammer and swung it to try and run Volvagia off but the dragon persisted and just kept snapping its jaws at him.

Navi quickly fluttered over to Ralis, "Are you okay?" Of course she was only asking to make sure he was good enough to help Link.

"Yeah…" He got back on his feet and watched his comrade try to fend the beast off. "It sure hurts when its skin comes in contact with you."

"It's covered in armor made of fire and molten rock, what did you expect?" She stressed. "You've got to stun it, and preferably without touching it."

Ralis did his best to think quickly. _'I've got a bow, would shooting it work? No. An arrow probably wouldn't pierce its armor. Clawshot? No… Bombs… Bomb arrows? No, no, no. Uh…! Spinner?'_ He smacked himself at that last thought. _'Oh! I forgot one of the newer ones…'_

Link, in the meantime, had no choice but to hold his ground. He tripped over a stone and dropped the hammer; now Volvagia was flying around him in circles and closing in. Soon it began to snap at him again which would cause him to back up and get singed by the flaring tail behind. Link couldn't see an end to it, at least no end where he would come out alive. _'At least the Gorons are out of danger… for now.'_ He told himself to try and make the situation seem a bit brighter. What happened next was not something he saw coming. His eyes grew wide when an enormous iron ball crashed into Volvagia's head, sending the dragon flying to the edge of the arena where it lay still.

When Link examined the ball closer he saw that it was on the end of a heavy chain and Ralis appeared to be the one who had thrown it. Even as he looked the young man gave the chain one good pull and the ball flew back into his arms. _'He's __**much**__ stronger than he looks…'_ He told himself while retrieving his hammer. _'Almost frightfully strong.'_

"Shouldn't you be finishing the beast off?" Ralis asked. He'd been getting nervous about just letting it lay there and recover.

"Right." He nodded and stepped up to the dragon. Taking aim with the hammer, he waited briefly before whacking it a couple times. Every time there was no response. He could see it breathing but still no response. His next thought was to use the Master Sword to stab it through the heart or maybe even behead it. However, once he drew his blade, Volvagia sprung back up and he narrowly dodged the swiping claws.

Ralis began to swing the ball and chain over his head and followed the dragon's movements. It receded back into one of the holes but before it could completely disappear he released the ball and caught its tail. The ball wedged and struck the tail above ground.

The creature roared angrily and thrashed about beneath the ground, trying to free itself but couldn't. In a fit of rage it stuck its head through the closest hole and looked for the heroes. Once it spotted Ralis keeping the ball in place it inhaled deeply, smoke began to pour from its mouth and it fully intended to reduce him to ash.

Link, leaping up from behind, brought the hammer down onto its head once more and didn't wait for it to be stunned before the Master Sword separated its head from its body.

Ralis looked away from the gruesome scene. He didn't like chopping the heads off of things. He did it once and it was almost completely by accident. Link had gotten lucky with this. Volvagia didn't appear to bleed from the wound and why not? The armor made such an intense heat that the wound was probably cauterized immediately. His experience was much more terrifying. It was his first encounter with a Lizalfos and, needless to say, once the head was off, blood spewed from one of the arteries in the neck and covered him. Another example of a time when Midna was less than supportive.

'_Why do I keep on remembering all the bad times with her?'_ He asked himself before rolling his eyes and shrugging. "Is it done?" He asked chancing a quick look.

"Yes." Link replied, sheathing his sword. "I never thought you'd be squeamish."

"I don't want to go into any details." Ralis said retracting the ball and putting it away. He took a few steps towards Link but jumped back when a ring of blue light appeared. "What is that?"

"Don't worry." Link said putting his hands up. "It's nothing bad." That was all he said before he stepped into it. He became surrounded by the same blue structure that Ralis had experienced when he first came to what Sheik said was the past.

He was shocked, as was Link, when the same form appeared around him. _'I didn't even step into the portal, c'mon!'_

Before long before the two of them were back in The Chamber of Sages. Link had gotten used to the teleports by now but Ralis looked like he might be sick. At least Midna's warps didn't involve spiraling. He was just as glad to be back on solid ground as he was the last time. And, still similarly to events prior, his head ached so badly that he was only able to note that Darunia was there. Not a word of the Goron's short speech was registered in Ralis' memory. He was only able to pay attention when he'd mentioned something about a medallion and looked up in time to see Link catch it.

"I appreciate your thanks, Darunia. But I can't take all the credit. Had Ralis not been there to help I'm certain I'd be dead."

"My deepest thanks go to you too, Brother Ralis!" The Goron boomed.

"You're welcome." He sighed contentedly. The sick feeling was finally ebbing away. Though his attention was drawn to something else soon after. Now that the crisis at hand had been remedied he had time to think about what Sheik had told him. _'This is the past?' _He looked at Link. _'And he's…'_

"Are you okay?" Link asked. "You look pale."

Elsewhere Ganondorf was looking out his window, astounded. Death Mountain looked as though it were erupting. There was fire shooting out of the crater up into the sky, but no lava flow. The stream seemed to pull the surrounding ash cloud along with it, leaving nothing but clear blue sky. His expression quickly became that of anger.

"So he's defeated Volvagia has he?" He asked a shrouded figure.

"Yes, Lord Ganondorf." Sheik answered.

**(A/N)** Why is Sheik answering to Ganondorf? I dunno. I thought the manga had some good aspects to it. They probably wouldn't work in the game itself but they were good for the story all on its own.


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N)** Chapter 4! Sorry this took so long. I had been neglecting my other story and figured I ought to update that one a few times. No temples this time. That was a little hard to focus on. Not to mention I haven't beaten the Water Temple yet. It's just so hard! Don't get mad at me, everyone and their mother knows how tedious that temple is.

Excursion

"Is this some sort of sick joke?" Ralis muttered to himself.

It was the next morning, the temple was cleared of all evil presence, and the volcano was behaving normally. He and Link were back in the village at the base of the mountain. Ralis was, more specifically, back in the village inn and sitting on his bed from the other day. He now knew the village was called Kakariko, and the only thing that seemed right about it was the fact that it was at the base of Death Mountain. But the appearance of the two places was completely different. This village was grassy and very well kept together, whereas the one he was familiar with was dusty and falling apart. Despite that, he knew Sheik hadn't steered him wrong. How could anyone deny the facts when they're staring them in the face? The current date was not what was on his map and had yet to come around. And yet this kingdom was Hyrule. Ever since he'd learned that he seemed to be hearing it a lot from a fair amount of people. He'd never really paid attention when the people talked about their land before.

All he could think about was what Sheik had told him and it caused him to really pay attention to certain details. The Sheikah was right. He and Link were both wielding the Master Sword but it appeared as though, out of the two of them, he was the only one who'd noticed. But he couldn't be too hard on Link. The scabbards were different and that had been enough to throw him off.

He'd always liked to believe that he'd gotten a bit smarter or just gotten better at paying attention to smaller details and yet something so simple had gotten past him? Midna, had she been there, would've slapped him. Or, at the very least, snapped at him. Her attitude was no longer as sour as it had been in the beginning but that didn't stop her from criticizing. She'd simply stopped criticizing his every move somewhere along the line. Of course having a psycho fish man beat up someone because of what you dragged them into would cause anyone to rethink their attitude towards that someone.

"Midna…" He sighed. She'd been left behind and he had no way of getting back to her. He had no way of getting back home. He'd be dead before the timeline reached his window again. And then what? The same thing over and over? Rauru had said that the gods acted in an attempt to save his life but he couldn't see how this was helping. They'd simply left everyone at Ganondorf's mercy. _'From personal experience, I doubt he even knows what mercy is.'_ He put a hand to his neck.

The bandage was off for the time being. It was something he'd slipped off to check on practically the moment they'd gotten back. The way the bits had felt he thought they'd be much worse but Granny's medicine was doing more than he ever thought it would. The infections were more or less gone so they weren't as disgusting anymore. Pretty much regular old bites from what he could see. So it now looked like he'd been bitten by a bunch of Keese rather than something dead.

"Morning." Link said as he opened the door.

"Hi…" Ralis answered distractedly. Seeing Link only reminded him of his situation. He knew who he was; everyone from his time knew exactly who Link was.

To think his current comrade was **the** Hero of Time. Admittedly Ralis had known little of the legend for most of his life. In fact, the story had lost its value in the eyes of many. So there weren't as many people who spoke of it or concerned themselves with assuring that the children knew it. Although Renado seemed to know plenty about it. He seemed to be the only one who could expand on any of the details. Still, most knew of the evil king who had spread darkness through the kingdom of Hyrule and his defeat at the hands of a green clad youth. That alone was filling the people's hearts with hope in their darkest hours. Renado had even gone so far as to compare him to the hero. But smaller details such as the hero's name and anything about the sages they were currently looking for had been lost. The people had simply grown comfortable in their time of peace and had no need for the legend.

But now he knew that either his real parents had named him after the Hero of Time or it was some crazy twist of fate. _'I wonder if they researched the legend… Or maybe-'_

"Are you sure you okay?" Link asked waving his hand in front of Ralis' face.

"Yep." He answered. "So where to today?"

"I don't know."

"Navi hasn't said anything about it?" The thought of her being silent for any extended period of time was strange.

"No, she hasn't." Link shook his head. "But… could I talk to you?"

"Uh… sure."

"You've just been acting very distant since we got back. And I mean more than usual. So… Did something happen? You disappeared for a while and wouldn't talk about it last night. You don't have to say anything I suppose but it makes things feel a little tense."

"Tense?" He hadn't noticed anything tense about it. It was true that he didn't want to tell Link about the encounter with Sheik. That still felt like a crazy move. "It's just not important."

"Alright." Link frowned. He'd really hoped they'd be more like friends than strangers by now. But it looked like Ralis just wasn't interested. It had been going so great right up until he'd disappeared and then he'd taken to all but pushing Link away.

"Link!" Someone suddenly burst through the door. It was a balding older man who was a bit on the larger side and had facial hair like Rauru's only black. Both boys stared at him dumbstruck.

"Talon?" Link spoke up after a minute. "When did you get here?"

"I've been here. But I had no idea you were here, I just woke up." The older man replied.

The young hero couldn't help but laugh at that. The man was always sleeping somewhere and would constantly need someone to wake him up. "Why aren't you at the ranch?"

'_Ranch?'_ Ralis' ears pricked up at the mere mention of it. '_This place has a ranch?'_

"It's not my ranch anymore." Talon shrugged. "Ingo stole it out from under me and kicked me out a while ago. They call it Ingo's ranch nowadays. I suppose I coulda forgiven him for that since he was always so good with the horses but…"

'_Horses!'_ Ralis perked up even more.

"Malon's still at the ranch!" The older man bellowed. "He booted me out but my daughter's still there!"

"What?" Link gasped. "That's awful!"

"I know you're busy and everything but do you think you could… y'know. Check up on her?"

"Of course, Talon."

'_Guess he knows where we're going now.'_ Ralis smirked as he rolled his eyes. He hopped up and started getting his things together before Link could even inform him of his plan.

The movement made Talon realize Link wasn't the only one there. "Who's that, Link? Your brother?"

"Maybe." The blonde shrugged. "I'm not too sure. Your guess is as good as mine. But he's been really helpful with the saving my life twice so-"

"Hi, I'm standing right here!" Ralis interrupted while he finished equipping himself. "Just in case you'd forgotten."

"Link? You…?" Talon looked confused. "When you were younger you always seemed to think asking for help was a sign of weakness. What happened?"

"Nothing. I just figured… well actually Navi…" He scratched the back of his head. "I-I'll just go see Malon now." He said stepping past Talon and heading out the door.

"I'd better go after him." Ralis sighed.

Sheik was waiting outside the village gates. His orders had been to lure the hero into the trap that was waiting at the ranch but Talon had beaten him to it. Now he need only ensure that Link made this little side quest his top priority. Although he was relatively certain Ganondorf wouldn't be too happy with the result. This trap was sure to fail. The Hero of Time had proven himself to be more than resourceful. If anyone wanted to make him vulnerable it was as simple as removing one miniscule part of the equation. The Sheikah had noticed in his observations that Link heavily relied on the fairy, Navi. She supplied him with information and warned him of danger. Steal her and he'd be lost. Or at least he would've been. Now that Ralis had been added things were very different. He had his fair share of handicaps but also made up for a few of Link's shortcomings. When Link wasn't paying attention he was and vice versa.

He watched the two young men make their way down the path and out of Kakariko. Link appeared to be flustered about something and Ralis was more or less blankly staring upward. Sheik had no idea why he didn't tell Ganondorf about Ralis but stood by his decision. Not that it mattered. He'd probably be made painfully aware of his presence after this trap fell apart because of him. He could only guess that he didn't mention the younger hero because he hadn't been asked about it. There was no defiance in his actions. Merely requirements. He only ever did what Ganondorf asked him to do and no more than that.

"Where are you headed?" Sheik asked when they passed him by.

"Sheik?" Link turned around quickly. "You never talk to me outside like this. What are you doing here?"

"It matters not. I was merely passing through."

"Oh. Uhh… okay." Link raised a brow. "We were just going to the ranch."

"Taking a break? Best choose a different location. The ranch is a might less than what it was."

"We heard." Ralis answered.

"Soon to be even grimmer than before." Sheik went on.

"What do you mean?" Both asked at once.

"The girl who works there will be gone come tomorrow. Word is Ganondorf is looking for a companion of sorts. Not a bride. Just a companion."

"He can't do that!" Link growled. "C'mon Ralis! We need to hurry!" He shouted as he took off running.

His comrade hurried after him and the two of them left Sheik behind. The young Sheikah watched them venture out into the field before starting toward the ranch himself.

Some time later Ralis could see high walls coming into view. He could only hope the ranch was inside. The trek from Kakariko to their current position had taken long enough. He could only assume that Link didn't have a horse, such as Epona, to utilize as a method of quick transport. Not to say he was lazy. He just didn't want to be out in the field when night fell. In his own Hyrule he knew what to expect when the sun went down but here anything could happen. But the thing he dreaded most was the thought of those ReDead creatures coming out in the dark.

"We're almost there, right?" Ralis asked looking over his shoulder at the castle.

"Yes." Link answered. He stopped by the tree at the entrance and looked around before proceeding. "Okay, let's go." He took a step forward but the fairy burst out and screamed for him to stop.

"Link, stop and think before you go gallivanting in there like a fool!"

"Think about what?" He groaned. "We can't waste any time on this one!"

"And you think you can waste time on any other occasion?" Navi snapped. "I would slap you if I thought you could actually feel it! Ralis! Do it for me!"

"Oh no." The younger boy backed up. "I'm not getting involved in this."

"Oh Navi, you know what I mean." Link sighed. "There's a bit of a time limit on this and it's diminishing as we speak."

"Just be cautious. That's all I ask." The fairy answered. "Wait here while I take a quick look."

"No. That's too dangerous." He shook his head and thought. "Ralis, you stay here."

"Me?"

"Yes you." Link nodded and Navi agreed. "If Navi's right and there's trouble then we've still got you. So wait out here and wait for a signal or something."

"Out here?" He looked around and then up at the sun. _'It won't be dusk for a while I guess…'_ He nodded after a long sigh. "Fine. What sort of signal did you have in mind?"

Inside the ranch Malon was locked inside the barn. All of the animals had been taken outside and Ingo had shut her inside and bolted the door. She'd already tried the various windows only to find that they were bolted as well. Ultimately, even though she wasn't bound, there was no way out. She listened for the slightest sound and heard the usual noises, the whinny and nicker of horses. "What is Ingo up to?" She muttered. She'd heard voices a short while ago and rather loud thumps of footsteps. Her heart leapt up into her throat when a similar noise came from above.

Link had entered the ranch and seen no change in it. Nothing except the cattle being outside. That wasn't something he'd been expecting. He'd been searching for Malon but couldn't find her. In fact he couldn't find anyone. He'd expected to find Ingo in the house except he'd searched it and found it looking abandoned. So now he was on the roof of the barn in an attempt to get a better look at the surrounding area.

"Where is everyone, Navi? Did we come too late?"

"I hope not." The fairy sighed. "They wouldn't have just turned the animals loose and left."

"I guess someone would have to be here. The horses are closed behind that gate out there." He pointed. "Where do you think Ingo is hiding?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe he and Malon are in the barn?"

"How am I supposed to get in there?" Link asked. He stooped down and looked for an opening of any kind. Stepping over the top of the roof he noticed what must've been a skylight. It was shut like the windows but not nailed down. "This is suspicious." He said tapping it with his foot. "Why is this the only thing that isn't locked?"

"Perhaps Ingo couldn't reach it?" Navi offered.

Link looked understandably skeptical but pulled the planks off the opening and peered down inside.

Ralis stood outside the entrance waiting for something. Link hadn't been too clear on what the signal would be. He'd told him it would basically be whatever he could manage. Groaning his discontent, he kicked a pebble and turned to face the lone tree next to the fence. He unsheathed his sword and swung, stopping just before he struck it.

He swung a few more times, never hitting the tree, before a harsh jolt to the back of the head caused him to halt. "Ow…" He put a hand to the back of his head as he knelt down to see what had hit him.

What he saw was the pebble he had kicked and a large shadow overtaking his own. Cautiously and regrettably, he turned around to find a titan of a monster. The creature was so massive and muscular it was almost grotesque. Veins could be clearly seen all over its body. Its shoulders and head were protected by spiked armor and held a large club in its equally large hands.

Ralis' ears drooped when it took a ground-shaking step toward him. Clenching his teeth and twitching slightly, he brandished his sword while keeping his shield close to his body. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the huge fangs jutting upward from the bottom jaw. He'd never come across an enemy like this before. He almost didn't know what to do when it swung the club downward. His jump to the side was almost instinctual. And the sight of the ground crumbling under the club caused him to jump again. He rolled around the monster so that he was directly behind it and sliced its back.

The creature howled in pain as it fell to the ground. Ralis stepped up and nudged it with his blade. Instantly the monster got to its feet and lifted him up by the collar of his shirt.

"Gah!" He gasped when the monster threw him.

He landed a few yards away with a 'thud' and slid across the ground. Quickly, he scrambled to his feet when he heard the monster coming after him. Rather than risk any further distraction or injury he turned tail and ran. It sounded like the monster started to run as well so with a bit of a squeak he ran even faster.

Meanwhile Link had hopped down into the barn and discovered none other than Malon. His sudden appearance left her in shock with her mouth agape.

"Malon, are you okay?"

"Who are you?" She asked taking a step back.

"Who am I? I'm Link." He answered trying to look harmless. "Don't you remember?"

"Um… I think so… maybe."

"Are you alright?" He repeated. She looked like she was going to answer but was interrupted by Ingo shouting from outside.

"So you finally decide to show, hmm? Lord Ganondorf gives you too much credit! You were stupid enough to walk right into the barn!"

He continued with his monologue while Link grabbed Malon and used his Hookshot to carry them up into the rafters. Soon enough the two of them were on the roof. The young blonde walked to the edge and stared down at the ranting ranch owner spouting on with a torch in his hand. Ingo didn't seem to notice or even be paying attention. So, quickly and quietly, he transported them over to the roof of the house and helped Malon get in through the bedroom window.

"Are you done?" He asked just as the man was about to set the barn on fire.

"Wh-Wh-What?" Ingo screamed. "When did you get over there?"

"Some point after you called me a degenerate." Link shrugged. "I'm curious. Where did you plan on keeping the horses after you'd razed the barn?"

"My orders were to kill you at any cost!"

"Why?"

"Why? Because Lord Ganondorf commanded it!"

"Oh. Well… your trap didn't work. So now what?" He jumped down off the roof, landing on his feet, and strode up to the gangly man.

"You think I didn't prepare for such a situation?" Ingo laughed. "You're sorely mistaken Mr. Hero! Now! Feast your eyes on plan B!" He dramatically thrust his arm toward the main gate.

Link looked over toward the indicated area and waited for whatever it was to appear. He and Ingo both waited for several minutes in awkward silence. But nothing came. They waited well after the point where most would've taken the hint and still nothing.

"Where is that stupid monster?"

"It's for the best, Ingo." He sighed. "You don't _really_ want to hurt anyone, do you?"

The older man let out a growl before kicking the ground multiple times. "Don't talk down to me! I will defeat you!"

"How? Do you have a plan C?"

"Indeed I do!"

"Seriously?" He hadn't thought he actually would. It was supposed to be a joke. He quickly decided that now was a good time to get Ralis so he slipped a deku nut to Navi. The fairy flew up, high above the ranch, and tossed it toward the main gate before returning back to Link.

The door swung open to reveal a Gerudo holding a sword to Malon's neck.

"Malon!" Link gasped. He hadn't seen that coming. When he'd checked the house before he hadn't seen the Gerudo. _'When did she get there?'_

"I had hoped it wouldn't come to this but it all works out just fine." Ingo sneered. "Now you'll have to surrender."

'_This isn't good…_' The young hero told himself as he tried to come up with a plan. Ralis hadn't appeared yet and he would've acted by now if he'd been watching. _'Well this turned out great! I come up with a simple plan and he up and disappears! Why can't we get this right?'_ He was about to panic when he spotted the horses; some were a dark brown with black others not, they all seemed to look alike se for one brown mare with a white mane and matching tail. He knew that horse. He also knew that he had never ridden a horse before in his life but it was the only thing that he could come up with. "A-And who's going to take me to Ganondorf? You? That _one_ Gerudo? The both of you could try and would fail. Obviously. I wouldn't go without a fight. So allow me to suggest a way to settle this as nonviolently as possible. A race. If I win, you let us go. If you win, I give you my word I'll go quietly." He didn't have to win, in fact he was expecting not to. He only wanted to use it as a method of getting more time and hoping that Ralis would show up to save them. "Navi." He whispered while Ingo thought it over. "Find Ralis, please. And be careful."

"Right." She nodded. "But, just in case, do your best to win."

"I'd planned on it but don't count on it."

She gave him a worried look before flying off into the field. Checking the main gate first, she only found the empty shell of the deku nut. Ralis was nowhere to be found out there. She rounded a corner with an irritated sigh, fully intent on giving him quite an earful when she found him.

Soon she'd made it around back and found many interesting imprints on the ground. They were footprints made by only one monster that she could see. But the prints were so deep that the grass was ripped up by the roots. Only an exceptionally large and heavy creature could've made them. That was enough to turn her anger into concern. Ingo had mentioned a monster. Perhaps it had gotten to Ralis? "This is only getting worse as time goes by!"

She kept her eyes to the ground, hoping that she wouldn't spot any patches of blood. And before she knew it she had come full circle back to the front. The only difference about the area this time was at the base of the tree. She could see a few twigs at the bottom and when she looked closer some of the branches were shaking. Upon closer inspection she found that Ralis was climbing said tree. The boy looked messy like he'd been in some sort of a scrap, but there were more important things for her to worry about at the moment.

"What are you doing?" She hissed. "Link is in trouble!"

"I figured. And I'm sorry but if you haven't noticed, something came up." He continued to climb as high as he could before taking out his Clawshot. "How bad is it?" He asked as he flew up to the roof of the barn. "I hope I didn't cause too much trouble."

"Just get down before someone sees you." She ordered as he was already doing so. "Look over by the house. See the girl? She's being held captive so Link was forced to make a deal. We have to save him!"

"Not so fast, Navi." Ralis answered while clawshotting to the roof of the house, still keeping low. "We have to rescue the girl first. If I interrupt before that she'll be killed."

"Hurry." She kept buzzing in his ear once he got through the same window Malon had.

"Shh!"

Ralis had a bit of a problem when it came to stealth and infiltration and Navi wasn't exactly helping. Once she was quiet it was only a matter of ensuring that his footsteps were light. He'd never encountered a Gerudo before so he had no idea if she would hear him coming or not. The Gerudo Desert he'd traveled through was abandoned. No one really knew if they'd all moved to a different part of the desert or if they'd all been wiped out.

'_I'm so lucky the girl left the door open.'_ He kept close to the wall and peered out the door to see that the two young women were too caught up in whatever was happening outside. He also couldn't help but notice that the Gerudo was dressed very strangely. _'Why is she showing so much skin?'_ He could never understand it. It reminded him of Telma and the way she wore her shirt. He'd always wondered why the woman always leaned forward so far when talking to him. He'd made the mistake of looking at what she had been displaying once and after that he pointedly avoided it. But that only ever made her laugh at him. He wasn't one who believed that women should wear clothing that covered themselves he just didn't know why some would go to such lengths. _'What am I doing, this isn't important.'_ He shook his head and began the grueling task of sneaking down the stairs.

"Why does Mr. Ingo want to hurt Link so badly?" Malon asked her captor.

"I don't care about that oaf. The only thing that matters is that Lord Ganondorf commanded it. At least this pawn proved to be more useful than we thought. He's pretty much captured him. The stupid kid doesn't even know how to get on the hor-"

"Huh?" Malon exhaled when she felt the sword fall away from her neck. She whipped around only to see the Gerudo collapse to reveal _Link_ with his sword drawn. However, he was holding it in such a way that she could see he'd only hit the woman with the hilt and made her pass out. "Link?" She jumped. "How can you be in **two** places at once?"

"Please remain calm."

"But you're outside!"

"No, no, no." Ralis said putting his sword away. _'What am I supposed to be? Cousin? Brother? Dang, I can't remember.'_ The awkward silence was going on a bit too long. "I'm not Link. I'm… I'm his younger brother." He smiled. _'I don't think I got that right…'_

"Oh… But if you're not Link then…! Quick, your brother's in trouble!"

"No." Ralis grabbed her arm before she disappeared out the door. "Don't let him see you. We can't let him know that I'm here."

"But your brother…"

"I'll take care of it, don't worry." He answered heading back up the stairs.

"What should I do? Just watch from the sidelines?"

"No. You need to make sure that woman doesn't come to and cause trouble."

"Okay!" She replied picking up a pitchfork. "She'll never get past me."

Ralis made his way back up to the roof and found himself temporarily blinded by a certain fairy.

"Now you'll help Link?"

"Geh… yes. Just stop shining in my face."

"But look!"

"I will as soon as I can see." He replied, rubbing his eyes. "What's going on?"

"The situation was absolutely hopeless but Link bought us some more time with this race. It's a bet and if he loses he basically surrenders!"

"Goddesses why?"

"As if you don't know." Navi answered in an accusatory tone.

Ralis tried to beat down the guilt. But there was no denying that this was all because he wasn't there to see the signal. Though, technically, it was the monster's fault.

"What even happened?" She went on.

"Let's try to stay focused." He averted his eyes and watched Link. "So he can do this, right?"

"He's never ridden before."

"You're joking." Ralis laughed. But when he saw Link try and fail to get on the horse for a third time in a row there was no denying it. "This is ridiculous. Why did he have to pick something that he can't do?"

"I don't know. It's a ranch. What was he supposed to do?"

They both got caught up in watching and after several failures Link finally managed to get on the horse. But when he tried to get it to move the mare took off too fast and he almost fell off. Ralis almost couldn't bear to watch. Link was doing everything wrong!

"Geez! I wish I'd been there when he made this deal." He growled.

"Think you could do better?" Navi jeered.

"I **know** I can do better."

"Mmhmm."

"Trust me. If it were me down there I would've smoked him by now."

Now that Link had gotten on the horse the race could begin. Ingo had decided they would go two laps around the corral to decide the winner. And he had never been more confident in his now eminent victory. Although there was a slight chance that he might die of laughter before it was all over. He and Link were at the starting line and, just for reassurance, he took off without giving the boy any warning. A head start could do him no harm. The blonde was very confused but the horse took off before he gave her any command.

Ralis slapped his palm to his forehead. "Navi, this is painful!" He moaned.

"I know. What are you going to do?"

"I thought I could stun Ingo's horse somehow but Link is too close behind him. It'll affect him too." He looked around and decided he'd get a little closer to assess the situation. Making sure no one was watching, he jumped off the roof and waited for the two to finish the first lap. Once they'd both gone by he rolled across the gap into the corral.

The race was looking bleak. He could see that Link was falling behind. Of course that only gave him the perfect opportunity to sabotage things. He felt the pressure, being hard pressed for time. Though he didn't exactly have to stop the race, he only needed to cause some sort of distraction. The whole race was a joke and the man called Ingo knew it. He didn't deserve to win. Ralis looked around for something and only got distracted by how beaten up some of the horses were. This man was a monster, someone had to teach him a lesson.

'_But what can I do?'_

Time was growing short, he had to do something. But he didn't want to risk injuring the horse. He reached into his pouch and pulled out his slingshot. He picked up a sizable pebble and, putting it in the pocket, he pulled the strings back and aimed it straight at Ingo's head. Once the man was a few yards away from the finish line, he fired.

The small stone flew straight at the man's temple and when it hit, Ingo's head cricked to the side before he fell from the horses back. The uninjured animal continued on for a few steps before skidding to a halt just beyond the finish line.

Link pulled back on the reins to bring his horse to a stop once he'd seen Ingo fall. He jumped down and ran over to make sure the man was okay. What he'd just witnessed was unbelievable, he had hoped Ralis would do something to help him win but he'd never expected his comrade to do something so appalling. Injuring the opponent in such a fashion! True, it wasn't the worst possible thing he could've done. After checking he could see that the old rancher only had a bleeding welt on his head. Ralis could've killed him with that tactic. Falling off of a horse was no laughing matter.

The young hero looked around for Ralis, feeling that he needed to scold him for doing such a thing, He definitely didn't want the young man to repeat such a deplorable act; but he was nowhere in sight. Ralis had disappeared again. _'What is he thinking?'_ He thought, looking back to Ingo.

"What happened?" He asked, holding his head.

"You fell off your horse." Link replied. "Fortunately, it looks like you didn't hurt yourself too badly."

Ingo looked around, waiting for the last bit of his memory to come back, he saw his horse and noted and where Link's stood. "Foolish boy!" He laughed as he jumped up. "You chose to surrender to me! I win!"

"What?"

"You didn't finish the race!"

"Neither did you!"

"Take another look!" Ingo pointed. "**My** horse finished the race, yours didn't!"

"But you weren't on it, that doesn't mean anything!"

"You never said I had to be _on_ the horse." He smiled. "You gave me your word, according to our agreement you surrender."

"Uh…" Link didn't know what to do. He really didn't say anyone had to be on the horse in order for it to count. _'How could I have been so stupid?'_ He found himself wishing he had finished the race but knew Ingo would've said the same thing just to twist in a win.

"Sorry but Link isn't going to surrender to anyone!" Ralis shouted. "We work as a team and since he didn't consult me before making this deal I refuse to agree to the terms. He may have given you his word but I didn't promise you anything!"

"I don't care who you think you are! He surrenders!"

"What's wrong with you?" Ralis hollered as he grabbed the little man the shoulders and shoved him.

"Stop!" Link took Ralis by the arm. "Don't hurt him. He's not worth it."

Ralis was all too aware of that fact. This man was nothing more than pathetic. He was willing to sacrifice everyone in order to help himself. The rest of his life would probably be very lonely. He wasn't even worthy of being called an enemy. He watched as the little man stumbled off towards the house in an attempt to get away and save himself. The young blonde had various thoughts on what he'd like to do to that man. How easy it would be would destroy him before he even turned his back. But he couldn't do that. If he did he'd be no better than Ganondorf.

He knew they were only thoughts and that he'd never act on them but he hadn't had thoughts quite so violent before. It concerned him. Then again, he'd never encountered such a sad little man before. It irritated him.

"Pay attention!" Navi screamed.

The two blondes looked toward the house just in time to see Ingo had shut and locked the gate with them stuck inside.

"Curses." Ralis muttered.

"What is he thinking?" Link asked, trying to see if there was another way out.

Link watched his comrade walk up to the mare; she reared back at the approach of a stranger but Ralis didn't move. He stayed calm and waited for her to steady herself. Once all of her hooves were on the ground he moved quickly up onto the stirrup and swung his leg over to the other. Seeing how easily he'd done it, Link got a little pink in the face from embarrassing himself so many times trying to do the same thing. He could see that Ralis must've handled horses so many times before with the way he could keep the skittish mare under control.

Ralis moved the horse forward and offered his hand to Link, "Get on."

"What are you going to do?" He asked, taking Ralis' hand and getting heaved up into the saddle.

"Nothing yet," The young man answered.

He commanded the horse to run a few laps and felt a significant difference in her speed. Just to be sure, he went in the corral and had her jump the smaller of the hurtles; she made it but the height of the jump wasn't what he'd hoped. He instructed her to gallop up to the larger hurtle and the mare stopped in front of it instead of jumping.

"That's not good," He sighed.

"What?" Link asked again, "What is it you're doing?"

"**I'm** not doing anything," Ralis replied, "Not with this mare anyway." He dismounted and looked around. Ingo wasn't nearby anymore. He must've gone in the house to find some way to contact Ganondorf. "Take her around again." He said, signaling for Link to take the reins. Link looked as though he wasn't sure what to do. "It's simple. Snap the reins to make her move forward, pull back to stop, and to turn you pull on the rein in the direction you want her to go. That's the bare basics, it's not what you _should_ do but I'll tell you the proper way later. But for now, we need to move fast, so just do it."

Link nodded and took the mare over the hurtles. Ralis had been right. The mare wasn't used to carrying one than one person and the added weight had slowed her down. That meant he couldn't be on the horse if they wanted to get out of there. He searched the others, trying to find one that wasn't too hurt to run but almost all of them were injured somewhere. He'd even gone out to check on the horse Ingo had used in the race. That one had been alright, before Ingo had whipped it so viciously during the race.

'_Man, I wish Epona were here.'_ He let out another sigh as he continued his search. It was all looking hopeless again. If he couldn't find another horse he'd have to get Link out of there and allow himself to be left behind.

His search took him to a shed next to the rear wall of the ranch. The only thing he could hear in there was cattle, chewing and chattering. Still, he checked and was glad he did, "Yes!" Inside was a black gelding. And it looked to be in pretty good shape too! "Now I just need a saddle…"

"There's one here on the wall." A cow answered.

"Dah!" Ralis jumped, "D-Did that cow just…?" He shook it off when there was no other word from bovine. "Must've been hearing things." He decided as he took everything he'd need for the horse.

Link watched him return with the new beast and observed everything he did while suiting it up. Ralis didn't even have to think about it, he just did everything quickly like he'd done it a thousand times before. The gelding appeared to be a very docile animal as well despite its youthful look. Perhaps it was just something about his comrade that made them so cooperative.

Ralis hooped onto the gelding and took a few laps around the corral to get a good feel of the horse's ability. He was very impressed with the power to its stride, it would definitely be able to do what he needed it to.

"Ready?" He asked Link.

"As ready as I'll ever be…" The blonde answered, "Now will you tell me what you're scheming?"

"Sure, get her going as fast as you can and head straight for the western wall."

"What?" He hadn't been expecting such an ill thought plan. "Have you gone mad?"

"Shh! Just do it." Ralis whispered.

With a tentative snap of the reins, Link soon found himself airborne. He'd never thought the horse could jump a wall of that size. It was astounding. He felt as though he were flying, but in a moment it was over. The landing wasn't so pleasant. It was quite a jolt and almost caused him to fall off. There was another loud 'THUD' and Ralis riding was next to him. The two slowed to a trot and looked back.

"You want to tell me what kept you?" Link asked.

"Well… The thing about that is…"

"He got attacked by Plan B," Navi answered curtly.

"Plan B?" Ralis was lost at that.

"Plan B…" Link wondered, "Oh! The no-show monster. That was because of _you_?"

"Apparently, yes."

"What sort of monster was it?" Link asked as he clumsily got off the horse.

"I have no clue. I've never seen anything like it." Ralis said, not wanting to see it again.

"Did you kill it?"

"No."

"You **didn't** kill it?" Link gasped, "Why not?"

"I never got the chance in between running for my life and all the other business."

"It gave you that much trouble?" Link soon realized that wasn't so unbelievable. Ralis had also run into trouble with the ReDead, there must be some things that were too much for him. "This is not good. Where is it? Do you know?" He waited for Ralis to shake his head, "So it's just roaming around somewhere near the ranch?"

"Maybe. But it could've gone somewhere else."

"Why?"

"Because I… think I confused it. It was weird. I threw a few rocks at it and noticed it would catch them and throw them back. So I threw a bomb instead of a rock," Ralis explained, "It caught it right before it exploded. I thought for sure that would kill it but it started to get up and… that's when I ran and hid. But I _heard _it get up and go in the opposite direction."

Link stopped to really look at Ralis. The young man was so coated with dirt that his skin and hair almost looked brown, there were beige trails on his face from where sweat had traveled down, his clothing was dusty, and he had a welt similar to Ingo's on his forehead. He could see the now dry blood had drizzled down to the bridge of his nose before sweeping up, when he must've swiped it off. And Link didn't have a scratch.

"Look," Ralis sighed whilst dismounting. "I know I was supposed to be there for the signal and I wasn't. And after I gave you so much trouble about running off, you have every right to mad. I'm really-"

"Sorry!" Link shouted before Ralis could say another word. He didn't want an apology now. Ralis was the one who deserved. He'd run himself ragged while all he'd managed to do was make things worse. And even after saving him, for the third time, as well as Malon he was beating himself up for the little things he hadn't done. The way Link saw it, Ralis had done everything on that trip. _'This can't happen again!'_ Link told himself, _'I need to get stronger so I can take care of myself and he can stop getting himself hurt!'_ Working on their teamwork was now even more of a priority than it had been.

Ralis wasn't sure what to do. Link was bowing his head and apologizing for nothing. And after he'd failed and messed up their plan so badly? It didn't seem appropriate. But Link was bound and determined not to let him apologize for his mistakes. All he could do was scratch the back of his head and smile nervously. He'd have to do better next time.

**(A/N)** Finally done! I don't know if I'll get to Dark next chapter, maybe. The outline is set up so that he doesn't show up until the chapter after that but I think I might just take that out, or shorten it significantly. It's really not completely necessary but there is something worth mentioning. I think I'll _try_ to get to Dark in the next one but there's no guarantee, okay? I really will try though.


	5. Chapter 5

**(A/N)** I said I was unsure in the last chapter but I quickly figured it was doable. I'm being really stupid with the title this time, bad puns anyone? There was also a bit that happened off screen, so to speak. But not much. Man, this took a while! And for that, I deeply apologize.

The Need for Mettle

Ralis sat in bed at Lon Lon Ranch. It was just lucky that Talon had worked up the courage to come back and reclaim it in the time they'd been gone. The only surprise was that Ingo was still there. He had no idea why, benefit of the doubt or bygones and such. He also didn't know whether or not Ingo was behaving himself. He hadn't been out and about ever since he got there. It wasn't due to a need for avoidance or isolation, he was just embarrassed. The manner of his return had not been a pleasing one.

He and Link had gone to what he understood to be Zora's Domain and discovered that it had been completely frozen over. He had noticed that the same thing had happened in his time only the situation wasn't as simple as warping a giant volcanic rock into it. They had to go further in to a place called Zora's Fountain. And that's where everything had gone wrong. The fountain was full of icy water and Link had warned him to be very careful where he stepped. He'd done his best but it'd happened anyway. He slipped and fell through the ice into the water. Link had told him that when he resurfaced his lips were already blue. He couldn't go with him into the _Ice Caverns_ while he was practically hypothermic. Even after he'd gotten back out in the sunlight he couldn't stop shivering. In the end Link had to help him back to the ranch so he could rest and recover.

His illness hadn't yet dissipated but he felt well enough to get out of bed. Perhaps do something to help out and get his mind off of how disappointed he was with himself.

"Oh no, what are you doing up?" Malon asked as he came down the steps.

"I'm alright."

"But your brother told us to look after you."

It took Ralis a moment to realize she was referring to Link. He still wasn't used to being someone's _kid brother _and not actually being their brother. "I know but I can't just sit around and do nothing. I've never **not** done anything." The knowledge that they all expected him to and trying to was making him restless. And it didn't help that he was on a ranch. He had to do some sort of work, it was a habit. It was true that he'd had a lot on his plate lately but he couldn't just laze around. It was against his nature.

"Hmm…" She stepped up and inspected him. "You _do_ seem to have gotten back some color… well, if you're sure. It was just a little scary. I'd never seen someone turn blue like that."

"That bad, huh?" He couldn't even remember some parts of the night before. "Sorry for the scare," He said as he walked outside. "I actually turned blue?" He muttered before walking straight into Talon.

"L-" The man started, "Ralis, you look… alive."

"Yeah, I seem to be having terrible luck these days."

"Why do you suppose that is?"

"Who knows," Ralis shrugged, "I'm just clumsy as of late."

"Don't worry about it. It'll have to get better. You don't look like the type of person to just wait around for your luck to improve," Talon answered. "Just keep trying. That's what I'm gonna do."

"Is there anything I can help with?" Ralis asked.

"There's still plenty of Ingo's mess to clean up," The older man replied. "Mostly, the stables need to be rebuilt. I dunno _what_ he was doing with the barn but a lot of it's all torn up."

"Really?" The young blonde mused as he headed for the barn. He had forgotten briefly but was now reminded of how much he despised Ingo. His selfish actions had put an unnecessary workload in Malon and Talon's lap. As if there wasn't already enough to do when running a ranch; now they had to fix all of his mistakes. The least he could do while he was stuck there was help out. He was still seething when he entered the barn and saw the man in the far corner, putting a stall back together. Ingo didn't appear to have noticed him yet and he found himself thinking darker thoughts again. But Ralis still didn't act on them, no matter how badly he wanted to hurt the man; it wouldn't be an action anyone would approve of. So, with a long sigh, he went to work on the side opposite Ingo.

His maneuver of avoidance didn't work for long however. The noise of putting things back together told Ingo he was there, the man did nothing, that wasn't the problem. The real issue was that Ralis had done tasks such as this so often growing up that he worked much faster than the other man did, even in the state that he was in; which soon made it impossible for them to continue ignoring each other. Ralis, not wanting to leave a job undone, had to work on the stall next to the old ranch hand which, at first, made things awkward. That is until Ingo started mumbling angrily about the usual stuff.

"I can't believe I have to go back to working for that bum, Talon. I'd finally gotten what I deserved and then **you** ruined it!"

"I fail to see how any of that was my fault," Ralis sighed as he continued working. "You got your chance but you ruined it for yourself. I was simply righting the wrong."

"Wrong? WRONG?" Ingo snarled, "Talon never does anything! He stands around saying he'll do things and that's all! I have to do everything, just like before!"

"That's not my problem. Maybe if you hadn't been such a poor ranch owner you wouldn't have been knocked off your high-horse." He pretended to come to a sudden realization, "Oh wait, I _did_ do that."

"You insolent little twerp! What gives you the authority to decide that!"

"Nothing, it was just my observation."

"And what would **you** know?" Ingo spat.

"I know that **beating** the horses is not the proper way to care for them." Ralis shrugged, finishing the last of his work in the barn.

"Whatever," Ingo answered. Brushing off the comment. "Lord Ganondorf will set things straight and kill Talon for being so incompetent. Then I'll be back on top." He chuckled.

"Rrr, that's it!" Ralis said angrily, grabbing Ingo and shoving him against the wall. "You listen to me and you listen **good**. That man out there may not have done his fair share of work in the past but you know what he has done? Allowed your sorry ass to stay here! Despite everything you've done, stabbing him in the back, all but kidnapping his daughter, and beating his animals, you're still here. That in itself makes him a greater man than you'll ever be. If it were me, you'd be gone. And stop saying you do all the work around here because that's not what I've seen so far. It looks to me like you do a lot more complaining than anything. You're old and you're pathetic. So do us all a favor and just shut up!"

"D-Don't hurt me!" Ingo stammered.

"You make me sick." Ralis glared, "Don't let me hear you complaining again, you leech! You have no idea how good you've got it. They're willing to give you another chance so you be **damn** grateful for it!"

"Al-Alright!"

"You understand me?"

"Yes!"

"Good!" He threw him aside before storming out of the barn. Talon was out near the corral attending to some of the injured horses and he saw Malon was out feeding the cuccoos. "Do you know when he'll be back?" He asked.

"Who? Link?" Malon brushed herself off and started toward the corral. "I can't say. He can never be expected. From what I've heard, he just turns up… Now anyway. If you forget all those years where no one heard from him."

"That's odd," Ralis replied. "He just up and vanished?"

"Yep. I met him when I was just a kid and then didn't hear from him for seven years. Honestly, I'd forgotten about him until the other day when he just sort of showed up and saved me."

"I wonder where he went…" Ralis sighed. "But he can't just leave me here like this. If he doesn't turn up soon, I'm going after him."

"You'll do no such thing." Malon scolded, "You're in no condition to be wandering around out there alone. You'll just have to wait for your brother to come pick you up mister." She had a very stern look to her that made Ralis believe she could actually stop him if she wanted to. He didn't know how to respond to it. No one had ever spoken to him that way when it came to his journey back home. Of course he'd never given himself hypothermia before. He tried to think of a way to change the subject but Malon beat him to it. "So you… took Theran out for a ride yesterday?"

"You mean the gelding?" Ralis asked, "His name's Theran?"

"Yes," She replied. "It's been a while since he's been out. My father couldn't get him to behave; his temperament didn't seem to change from before. But you didn't have a problem with him, did you?"

"No, I thought he was rather tame."

"How did you do it?"

"Oh…uh…" Again, Ralis didn't know how to respond. He didn't really do anything, the horse just behaved. Based on his previous experiences with animals, he was pretty sure it had something to do with his beastly transformation but he couldn't exactly tell Malon he used to turn into a wolf. He'd have to think of something else. "I guess I just speak their language." He answered lightly. That was close to the truth.

"I guess you do," She smiled. "You were even able to approach Epona without calming her down first."

"Epona?" He questioned. _'That mare's name was Epona?'_

He was interrupted by Link returning on the mare in question. Ralis stared at her. She was a little young but she wasn't even the same breed as his horse back in Ordon. He missed her and now this horse was only going to serve as a reminder that he'd abandoned everyone.

"You're looking well." Link said dismounting. "But are you good enough to go?"

"My reflexes are still a little slow but I can manage." Ralis answered, going to the house to get his gear.

When he returned, Link was waiting back atop Epona and Malon had retrieved Theran.

"Take him with you," She insisted. "He likes traveling with you."

The two heroes thanked the ranchers before they departed. Ralis simply instructed Theran to follow Link south-westward and then busied himself with other things. Mostly he would clench and unclench his fists to try and loosen them up. They weren't completely stiff but he was worried that his grip may have weakened and not yet returned to normal.

They rode in silence for a while until Link couldn't stand it anymore. When traveling alone it was alright but he wasn't now. At least Ralis didn't seem so distant anymore. Link didn't think they were exactly close yet. And, one thing he noticed, Ralis still didn't ask questions. He didn't even inquire as to where they were going. He just followed. They weren't total strangers but he still knew next to nothing about the younger. He knew where he was from, but that was no help. As far as anyone knew, the place where he claimed to be from didn't exist in the kingdom. It only made things more confusing to figure out. He could only assume that he was from some far away land. As for whether or not Ralis was trustworthy, he believed the young man had done more than enough to prove himself an ally.

"We're headed for Lake Hylia." He said, trying to get the boy's attention. Ralis looked over but only nodded. "Do you think you're equipped for underwater exploration?"

"Yeah." Ralis nodded again.

Link soon gave up on conversation and focused on riding the horse. Ralis had taught him how to ride properly but he was still no expert. True, he'd taken to it a lot quicker than most but he couldn't help but compare himself to the other young man and his riding ability. He knew the other had simply had plenty of experience with horses. But he still felt a need to compete with him.

A few hours later they left the horses and walked down to the lake. "This was a lake?" Ralis asked whilst looking around at the dried up hole. He knew it was merely because the water's source had been frozen over. He felt as though it would've been completely dry if not for the rain.

"Sheik told me it was because of a curse. We have to enter the temple and slay the monster that the curse spreads from."

"Right," Ralis said walking off. "I'll go change over here. Don't send Navi after me this time."

"Navi?" Link asked looking at the fairy flitting nearby. She acted like she didn't know what he was talking about. He just shrugged and switched his green tunic with the blue one King Zora had given him. He had to wonder how it was supposed to work or if it even would. It was supposed to allow him to breathe underwater but it just looked like a blue tunic. Perhaps there was some sort of enchantment on it? That was the conclusion he came to. King Zora wouldn't benefit from tricking him and killing him like that.

Ralis returned with his own aquatic garb. Its design was much more complex but, from what Link could see, the functionality of it didn't seem much clearer. It was a mixture of silver and blue, the silver being separated and layered to look like scales. His feet were covered by blue, thin, and flat things that resembled fins; so being able to move underwater must've been something the maker thought of. It was just the question of how any of it would allow him to breathe. He may not have been able to figure that out but he had to admit Ralis' outfit looked a might more impressive. But to what end?

"You ready?" Link asked. Instead of answering Ralis dove into the water. "I guess that's a yes." He sighed. He waited for Navi to retreat into his hat and then followed.

The interior of the temple appeared to be similar to the Lakebed Temple that Ralis had ventured through. He could only hope that there wasn't something as huge and terrifying as the Morpheel in its depths. Nearly getting eaten alive was never something he'd enjoyed on his journey. All the other monsters he'd bested were merely trying to kill him; the Morpheel was the only thing that had ever tried to swallow him. He looked at his companion and noticed that Link was just looking around and trying to decide on what to do. He wasn't thinking about the possible dangers or anything like that. His expression told Ralis that he wasn't worried about anything, whereas he had a great feeling of foreboding just being inside. His gut was telling him something bad was going to happen.

"Seems eerie," He said in an attempt to make Link pay attention. Perhaps he would feel it too.

"Really?" Link replied, not particularly thinking about anything. He was just taking in the sights. "The sound of the water makes it sound kind of peaceful to me. What about it makes it- Hey! You're shivering." He pointed. "Are you scared or cold?"

Ralis looked at his hands, they were shaking. Not as badly as the night before but nevertheless. "I'm a little of both," He answered. "I'm sure I'll be fine though."

"What's got you so spooked?"

"I don't know. It's just a feeling. Like we're being watched or something."

"I wouldn't worry about it." Link jumped down into the water. "There are always some of the more passive monsters in these places. They're probably somewhere up high looking down on us. But they won't come down and attack, just observe." He wasn't going to say anything but he was much more concerned about how fast Ralis had gotten cold. He knew if he'd said anything it wouldn't get him anywhere. He'd just have to keep an eye on him when he could to make sure he didn't start showing any signs of becoming hypothermic again. The water _was_ a bit chilly. It wasn't the best idea to bring Ralis to the Water Temple after he'd fallen in icy water the night before, he was aware of that. However, he also knew Ralis wouldn't have stayed at the ranch if he'd tried to leave him there.

Ralis dove in and followed Link down to the bottom. They really needed to find some keys. Most of the doors they'd found along the way had been locked. The one way they could go in the mid-section had essentially led them to a dead end. Link had discovered this new route and figured there was nowhere else where a key could be.

He rounded the corner and stopped short when he spotted a familiar face. Ruto, the Zora princess. Fully grown and standing there as if she had been waiting for him.

"Oh… you… If I'm right… Link?" She exclaimed. "You are Link, aren't you? It's me, your fiancée!"

"Uh!" Link didn't know what to say. He thought for sure she would've forgotten about all of that. Or at least gotten over her crush and moved on.

"I never forgot the vows we made to each other seven years ago!" She went on. Link was just glad Ralis hadn't caught up with him yet. "You're a terrible man to have kept me waiting these seven long years. But now is not the time to be talking about love…" She sighed and then took on a look of confusion. "Who's this with you?" She asked. Link looked behind him to see Ralis, his back was to them as though he was watching Link's back in case of an attack. "Why have you brought another Zora with you?" She sounded a bit jealous as she spoke.

"Huh?" Ralis turned around. Half his face was covered but it was still obvious that he wasn't a Zora.

"Oh!" Ruto gasped. "You're not- I'm so sorry. From behind you look like… well you know." She looked into his eyes and then to Link. "Oh, I'm awful!" She wailed. "I can't tell you apart! Which one of you is really my beloved?"

Ralis just looked at Link and furrowed his eyebrows. "Calm down, Ruto." Link said stepping between them. "I'm the boy you gave the Zora Sapphire to. This is my little brother."

"Your brother?" She thought for a moment. "You're introducing me to your family? No, even better. You went and searched for all of those years just so you could find a family member to introduce me to!" She clapped her hands.

"Focus Ruto…" Link said, feeling embarrassed. Ralis had shown up late but she'd still managed to make it awkward with all of her marriage nonsense.

"Yes!" She nodded. "You saw my home, it's frozen over! I want to save them all from the ice! You!" She pointed to Link. "You, as my future husband, have to help me!" Link noticeably deflated at the 'H' word. "Help me destroy the evil monster in the temple! OK?" She turned to Ralis. "And you! As my future brother-in-law you must help as well!"

"You're engaged?" He whispered to Link.

"Uh… It's complicated…"

"So!" Ruto snapped her fingers. "Inside this temple, there are three places where you can change the water level. I'll lead the way! Follow me, quickly!" She swam straight up through a hole in the ceiling.

Ruto led them to a seal that required Link to play a song in order to drain the water. Afterward, she took them through a series of rooms that ultimately took them back to the main structure at the beginning. There were still patches of water that they needed to swim through in order to get anywhere and they'd collected some keys along the way. Soon it felt as though they'd been through the temple several times over and the rooms were starting to look the same. Eventually, the water level was back at its highest and Link was ready to head in through a door to the left of the main structure. Ralis tried to follow and found that his legs had gotten a little stiff.

"You two stay here," Link sighed. The entire time Ralis had been getting colder and colder. Link had seen it. He had no choice. They'd have to split up. Ralis needed to rest and try to get warm and he couldn't afford to stop for that long.

"What?" Ruto all but squawked.

"Ruto please. He needs to warm up, look at him. His lips are purple." He gestured toward Ralis. "I can't leave him here alone."

"I'm alright." Ralis said, heading for the water.

"No." Link took him by the arm and made him sit down by a nearby torch. "Just relax for a bit and catch up when you're feeling better. Do what you can to get warm, try getting out of your wet clothes, okay?" He took off toward the door, "Look after him!" He called back before disappearing.

"Well that was rude!" She huffed. "But… why _are_ you changing color like that?"

"Essentially, I'm cold. Very, very cold." Ralis answered, walking off to change back into his green tunic.

"Oh…" She said sounding confused. Ralis had to guess that Zoras weren't negatively afflicted by cold. Not as quickly anyway. Considering that she'd survived being frozen like the Zoras from his homeland.

He returned in his usual clothes se for the chainmail. It was cold to the touch and he didn't want to put it on while he was already freezing. That felt as though it would be painful. The pain would only be temporary but he still didn't want to put up with it. Without it he was nice and warm. He could still feel a slight shiver, however, so he sat back by the torch.

"Wow." Was all Ruto said as her eyes trailed over his body. Now that she could see him clearly she could see some differences between Ralis and her fiancée. There weren't many, but she could see them. That made her feel better. "Your parents must've been really handsome. Both you and your brother are gorgeous. Or do you both take after your mother?"

"I don't know," Ralis shrugged. "I never knew my parents so I have no idea what they looked like."

After that the conversation dwindled. It was always awkward when you brought up parents to an orphan. She felt bad for it. Ralis didn't look upset but that didn't stop her. She had a father and was always so angry with him. She wanted to talk with him more but both of them looked up when the entire temple shuddered. They could hear a loud crashing noise far off and the water rippled. Before Ralis knew what had happened Ruto had swam off to investigate.

Link struggled to regain his footing after room stopped shaking. "What are those two doing?" He wondered, not knowing that Ralis and Ruto were not to blame. He shook off the initial shock and brought his attention back to the door. He'd made it through two obstacles since they'd separated. They were both fairly simple and he was certain Ralis could make it through with little to no problem.

He entered the new door and found himself in a room that didn't feel like the rest of the temple. It was filled with a thin layer of water and the air was so misty he couldn't see where the walls were. It looked as though it were endless. And in the center of it all there was a small island with a dead tree growing out of it. Other than that there was nothing, not even any enemies. Squinting, he could see that there was a door on the other side and headed for it. When he stepped across the island something of a twinge went through his entire body. It was almost like a small jolt of electricity had just passed through him. Startled, he looked down and saw nothing. Sensing movement, he looked up at the tree, still nothing.

"I must be paranoid." He sighed, continuing to the door only to find it was locked. Now he was certain there was an enemy he wasn't seeing. _'Is this what he was feeling earlier?'_ He thought, referring to Ralis' concerns from before.

His ears twitched at the sound of bark crackling. Slowly, he turned back to the tree. He was not prepared for what he saw. It looked like a shadowy reflection of himself. The image was transparent but Link could see that it was gaining color as he continued to look at it.

He waited for an attack and got no such luck. The thing just stayed there, leaning against the tree with its arms crossed. He got closer and looked at it. The last bit of color had come to its face. He'd expected it to become more like himself but it's appearance stayed dark. It's tunic was black, as was it's hair. Link could see that its skin had taken on more of a fleshy color as time passed, it no longer looked like a shadow. It looked alive. He stared into its red eyes and jumped back when they blinked. The lips curved up into a smirk and it lifted its arms above its head in a stretching motion.

"Ahhh…" It sighed contentedly. "Thanks for waiting. It'd just taken you sooo long to get here that I fell dormant for a minute there."

"What?" Link asked. He had never come across an enemy quite like this. Not quite sure what to do, he drew his sword.

"Whoa, take it easy," The shadow said stepping off the island. "I just woke up, gimme a minute to find my head."

Navi floated up and whispered to Link, "I wouldn't do it. Take him out now!"

Link was very confused. This thing was appearing to be more and more like a person than a monster. He didn't know how he felt about hurting it. It hadn't even attacked him yet. Not only that, but it didn't feel hostile. Its eyes looked dark but the way it spoke made him feel like it was capable of reason. Perhaps he could come up with a way out of this without fighting. Then again, if he didn't defeat this thing the door would never open.

The shadow rubbed its eyes and took a long hard look at Link. "So… you're the hero guy?"

Navi wasn't going to let Link be fooled. She flew around behind him and pushed his sword-hand forward. The Master Sword slashed across the shadow's chest and it melted into water.

Link just stood there, stunned. It had all happened so fast.

"What are you waiting for?" Navi asked. "Go!"

Link looked at the door behind him but the bars hadn't risen. He looked back just in time to dodge a swing from an enemy blade. "I shoulda been expecting a preemptive strike." The shadow shook its head. "I just never figured you'd take advantage of a groggy opponent."

"I-" Link tried to defend himself but had to duck another swing.

"Don't apologize!" Navi shouted. "Just kill it!"

"It?" The shadow wondered aloud. "Couldn't ya' at least refer to me as 'him' or something?"

Link decided that the newcomer was an enemy and that Navi was right. He'd have to kill him in order to proceed. With that in mind, he tried to slash the boy in the middle. The shadow jumped over it and swept the blonde's feet out from underneath him. Link fell back into the water with a yelp.

"Whaddya' expect? You left yourself wide open," It shrugged.

The young hero glared and quickly got to his feet. He raised his shield above his head to block another blow and jabbed his blade into the other's stomach. The shadow's eyes got wide for a moment but then it smirked with a mischievous look in its eyes. Link watched it grip the blade and pull itself along it, coming within inches of his face. The action made Link feel a little squeamish and he closed his eyes. He only opened them when Navi screamed at him and found the shadow had disappeared again.

"Shame on you!" It called, "Taking your eyes off the enemy!"

He could hear the oncoming blade from behind and rolled forward to avoid being hit. Turning, he held his blade out in a spin attack. He watched the shadow jump over the blade again but this time land on top of it. The weight made the blade sink to the floor and become trapped under its foot. Link tried to wrench it free and discovered that it wouldn't budge. He felt a hand force him to look up and the shadow press its lips against his own.

His alarm was clearly reflected in his eyes and stayed there as he stumbled backward. "Wh-what was that?" He shouted angrily.

"I dunno," The shadow shrugged. "You just looked so pouty and frustrated. I couldn't help myself."

"He's messing with you, Link!" Navi yelled. "Don't let him get to you!"

"Oh, so I'm a person now?" It asked in mock confusion.

Link growled as he got up. He was feeling less and less conflicted about doing bodily harm to this thing. It was wearing that smirk once again when he approached it. Rather than use the Master Sword this time, he pulled back and punched it right in the eye.

It flew back and hit an invisible wall before sliding down. The smirk was gone when it looked back up at Link, but only for a brief second. "Ooh, someone's angry." The shadow laughed and melted back into the water. Link put the Master Sword away and took out his bow. Fixing the bowstring into the nock, he pulled the string back and waited. Some water swirled up nearby and started to take form, he aimed directly at it. As soon as the shape looked like the shadow, he fired. The arrow lodged itself in the shadow's chest. "Hah!" It gasped.

Link watched it clutch its chest and fall to the ground. He'd been so angry, but hearing it in pain brought on a strong feeling of remorse. A feeling that only got worse when he saw crimson dripping off of the arrow. All of the wounds he'd inflicted on it were now visible and bleeding profusely. All he could do was watch it melt once again and leave nothing but red, swirling in the rippling water.

"Sorry," He shook his head. The bars over the door rose and he moved on.

Minutes later, Ralis found himself outside that very room. With much use of his Clawshot, he'd managed to get there while keeping himself dry. He sighed when he walked in and found the floor was covered in water. Once he reached the island he could see the door was barred, preventing his advance.

"Well, well, well…" Someone sighed. "_This _isn't something I'd expected…"

"Who…?" Ralis asked turning to see what looked like a dark version of Link. "What's going on here?"

"That's what I'd like to know," The young man furrowed his eyebrows. "I just now recover from my last bout with the Hero of Time and now I see a carbon copy walk in here just moments after." He saw Ralis frown at being called a copy but went on. "So what now? Are you looking to go through that door as well? Because, I gotta tell ya', I'm not feeling as charitable as before."

Ralis drew his own blade, feeling a little threatened by the boy.

"Don't get me wrong," He said, getting a look that made Ralis feel uneasy. "I'm very happy that another blonde has been served up for me to play with."

"What happened to the one before me?"

"He started taking it too seriously," He frowned. That was all he said before he grabbed his sword and swung. Ralis parried then used his shield to push the opponent back. "You do more than dodge?" The dark boy asked. "Intriguing."

With a few more attacks of his own and defending himself against Ralis, he could see that this one was weaker than the last. The time it took him to react was also much longer. The shadow continued to observe his opponent as he toyed with him, just to see how many more weaknesses he could exploit. As it turned out, there were plenty. The first thing he noticed was that the blonde had trouble blocking from above, it looked as though it took him a lot of effort to keep a good grip on the shield. His grip also suffered whenever he parried, and he was easily overpowered. So, he concluded that this boy knew a lot of fancier moves but the longer he kept him fighting the weaker he got. With that in mind, he took a few more swings at him. Putting his full force into each, watching his opponent wince with every strike. Then, when he'd had enough of that, he blocked the blonde's attack and hit his left hand with the flat of his blade as hard as he could.

Ralis watched in dismay as the Master Sword spiraled through the air. It flew across the room and stuck in the ground. Now all he had was his shield. He looked at his opponent, wondering what would happen now that he'd been unarmed. He knew he had a lot more weapons in the pouch on his belt, he'd use them if he had to.

The way the shadow saw it, the fight was over. After what had happened with Link, he was ready. He'd stab the boy if he saw him reaching for anything. But he wasn't done with this kid. He continued to attack, never giving Ralis time to think before he had to shield himself from another blow. He could feel that the boy was about ready to drop the shield. It was only a matter of time. He raised his sword above his head and 'BAM!' Something very hard hit him. Once his eyes refocused, he saw Ralis hadn't gotten a weapon without him noticing. The blonde had hit upside the head with his shield.

"Ohhoh, you've still got some fight in you," He smirked. He was impressed by the young man's determination but his next attack caused the shield to fly off and join the sword.

Ralis was at a loss on what to do. It'd never come down to this. Being unarmed and unprotected. He tried to reach for a different tool in his arsenal but every time he moved the other boy attacked. He wasn't giving him a chance to do anything. The strategy wasn't very smart, but effective. Ralis knew that he'd lost. He just didn't want to give up. After the other day and having to run from that huge monster he felt he had to make up for it by not backing down now.

He rolled to dodge an attack, and while doing so detached his sheath. He used it to block another oncoming assault from above and then that was knocked out of his hands as well. In a state of panic, he fell backward; doing his best to scurry away. He was only able to tear his eyes away from the shadow when he felt his hat slip off.

"All done?" The shadow asked. "It looks like you're out of options." He looked the boy over. Ralis was defenseless but he didn't have any injuries to speak of. Upon seeing the blonde stand up the shadow kicked him back down, afraid that he was going to get shot with something. He stepped up to the blonde as he labored to get back up and continued to look him over. Rather than allow him to stand, he pushed him back down and straddled his hips. The shocked gasp only egged him on. With his right hand he clasped the young man's jaw and put his blade to his neck. "Give up yet?"

Quite the opposite. Ralis wanted to struggle and kick but the cool metal against his throat made him think twice about such an action. He now felt that the situation was hopeless, and yet he would not admit it. So he said nothing.

He didn't have to. The shadow could see the boy's pointed ears sink as all hope abandoned him. "I'm not gonna kill ya'." He said, tossing his own sword aside. As soon as he did Ralis tried to throw him off. "Hey now," He grabbed the boy's wrists, "I didn't say I was gonna let you go either."

"Get off of me!"

"Aw, but even if I do you can't go anywhere." He sighed. "The doors are still shut, y'know."

"So what're _you_ going to do?" Ralis grumbled.

"Hmm…" The shadow pondered momentarily, "Good question. What _am_ I going to do with you?" He released the young man's wrists as he thought.

Ralis waited for several minutes that almost seemed like hours. He soon felt something that made his stomach churn. Dark Link was playing with one of his blonde locks. That was a red flag. No one had ever done that before. "What are you doing?"

"Thinking."

"What are you talking about?" Ralis growled. "I don't understand, you're with Ganondorf, shouldn't you just kill me and be done with it?"

"Nah. Ganondorf told me to **defeat** the Hero of Time. Defeat doesn't mean kill." The shadow shook his head, "Besides, you're not the Hero of Time. You're… who are you again?"

"I didn't say," Ralis rolled his eyes, "And I don't really feel like chatting while in this position." It was pretty compromising. Before he'd been afraid for his life, now he was just embarrassed. "Do you really _have_ to sit on me?"

"Yes." The shadow smirked. He was still scared of getting shot in the chest again. Nonlethal or not, it still hurt. But he also knew that his current actions could be considered inappropriate. He was just playing dumb. He'd been too forward last time. It'd ended badly. This time the blonde was calmer, irritated but calmer. He wasn't so furious that he was trying to punch him in the face.

"Are you trying to keep me here so I can't help my partner?"

"That wasn't my original intention but, if that's what you insist on believing, far be it from me to argue."

"Then what do you want?"

"Shh, no need to shout," The shadow thought for a moment on what to say next. He had to defuse the situation somehow. "I was testing how strong you were." He leaned forward to see the confused look on Ralis' face. "Now I think I'll just wait for you to simmer down."

Ralis furrowed his eyebrows, "What?"

Dark Link's smile broadened. Every expression the blonde made was unbelievably adorable. He assumed it was true for the other as well since the young man before him looked so similar to Link. But Link wasn't the one currently underneath him. "Now it's your turn to think."

"Think about what?"

"About whether or not you want to get outta here."

"Of course I do!"

"Then how are you going to get me to let you go?" The shadow asked, leaning further forward. It didn't look like there was going to be a response any time soon. He appeared to be seriously thinking about what to do. "Need help?"

"…Yes."

"Try asking me nicely," He whispered into the other's ear.

'_What?'_ The suggestion made Ralis feel as though his mind had short-circuited. All he could do was stare at his opponent. _'Is he serious?'_ Usually something like diplomacy wasn't an option but, then again, this wasn't a typical monster. Could it really be so simple? If anything, it was worth a shot.

"Um… Could you get off me, please?"

"Atta boy!" The shadow said, standing up and walking over to fetch the green hat. He would've liked to stay where he'd been but he was confident he'd made the right choice on which direction to take.

"Is that really it?" Ralis asked while gathering up his equipment. He couldn't help it. It was just so bizarre that all he'd had to do was say 'please.' He never would've thought one of Ganondorf's minions would appreciate something like politeness.

"Yep," Dark Link smiled, "Just as long as you admit that I totally owned you!"

"Yeah, sure, whatever," The blonde answered while refastening the sheath to his back. Obviously trying to brush it off.

"Nah, I want you to say it," The other insisted.

"I don't have time for this." Ralis shook his head and looked toward the door. It was still barred. "How do I get out?"

"I'll open the door," The shadow shrugged, "Once you admit it." The only response he got was a look of disapproval. "Oh come on. It's not like I'm asking much."

Ralis rolled his eyes. It was true. The only thing this could be called was annoying. "Fine," He sighed, "You-"

They were interrupted by another tremor traveling through the temple. It traveled across the room through a ripple until it reached the small island in the middle. The two stopped and stared as the tree shuddered. If it'd had any leaves to begin with it wouldn't have afterward. The force felt as though it could've easily toppled the brittle thing. It made a snapping noise, as though the trunk had cracked but stayed in place.

The shadow looked down, his red eyes watched what was left of the ripple while it slowly diminished, "Sounds like Morha's getting restless…"

"Morpha?" Ralis asked, "Who's Morpha?"

"I'm not exactly sure," He shrugged, "You should probably go. Just in case the hero needs you." He nodded towards the door just as the bars rose.

Ralis didn't wait. He hightailed it out of the room before anything else could go wrong. He'd faintly heard the other call out for him to wait but he didn't stop. He was too concerned with finding his comrade before he tried to fight the beast on his own. Although it couldn't be said whether or not he'd be any help. He'd been questioning it since he'd been forced to warm up by the torch. And now he was drenched again from being kicked around in the cool water on the floor. _'What if I only get in the way?'_ He thought. It was too much to think that he'd cause them both to fail all because he was stubborn. "No," He told himself, "That's quitter talk." He'd never quit before. Surely he could make it if he just didn't think about and kept going. That'd always worked before.


	6. Chapter 6

**(A/N)** Yeah…. The last one may have been shorter than the others. I'd originally planned on making this all one chapter but it was turning out too long. Needless to say, I had to split it up. Not that it matters since I posted them in such close proximity. Sorry for the long gaps in between updates but you should probably expect that by now.

Three's a Crowd

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ralis shouted before covering his face. This entire temple was nothing but frustrating. He'd just been humiliatingly defeated only to end up back where he'd started. He'd been hoping that it was almost over but had no idea. He wasn't the one holding the map.

He made his way to the central tower, feeling more than frustrated. A tektite tried to block his path only to find that he was in no mood to humor it. He dealt with it by use of a swift kick, sending it flying into the water on its back. He turned and tried to think of what to do. He had no clue of where to go and didn't want to waste time combing through places Link had already been. His eyes scanned the areas around him, looking for anything that would tell him where Link had gone.

"Up here!" A high vice called.

His ears pricked up as he looked toward the source of the noise. It was a fairy. She glowed pink while she danced around a target.

"Up here! Up here! Up here!"

Immediately, Ralis took out his Clawshot and fired it to the indicated spot. The fairy stopped dancing and floated in one spot once he was next to her. "Thank you," He said offering her his hand to stand on.

She touched down and sat in his gloved palm, "Are you okay?"

"More or less," He shrugged, "Did Link ask you to heal me or something?"

"Only if it was necessary. Mostly he wanted me to tell you that he went in there." She pointed to the door behind the target.

"How much time has passed since he went in?"

"Not long. A few minutes," She sighed, "So! Do you need me to fix you up?"

"Please."

She circled him a few times, returning his strength to him, and stopped. "Hmm," She looked in his eyes, "I got rid of your fatigue but you're still ill. You probably need a potion. Got any?"

"None that would be used for that," He frowned. "But it should be alright until I get out of here."

"Well good luck then!" She said before flying away.

Ralis walked though the door and saw three Blade Traps crossing the floor. He made a noise of exasperation and rested his head in his hand momentarily. Brushing his bangs back out of his face, he noticed something strange. Surprised, he put his hand on the back of his head. He felt nothing but his damp hair. "Where's my hat?" He wondered aloud as he looked on the floor behind him. It wasn't there. He couldn't remember where he'd had it last or where it might've been lost. "Oh well, no time for this now," He told himself before he could start retracing his steps. Looking forward, past the traps, he could see a big golden lock on the floor in front of the giant door. Link was already inside.

He ran up the incline, hoping that he'd make it there with both of his feet, and pushed on the door. Nothing happened. It didn't have a knob either. He knelt down and curled his fingers underneath it. It was heavy but it was giving way as Ralis lifted it up. Soon it clicked and rose upward on its own, giving him time to charge inside before it came back down.

He bumped into Link who'd been standing in the doorway. The impact threw Link off balance and almost onto the floor. He waved his arms around to get his footing again and corrected himself in time to grab Ralis, saving the other from falling on his face.

"Where have you been?" Link asked, noting that his companion had failed at keeping himself dry.

"Fighting you," Ralis replied curtly. He looked around and saw the room was empty. Nothing but a pool in the center with four pillars rising out. No sign of a beast anywhere. And that wasn't the only thing missing. "Where's your fiancé?"

Link's eyebrows furrowed but rather than argue he looked. "There!" He pointed to the water.

The Zora princess was in the pool off in a corner. Her eyes were opening but she wasn't moving. Her expression was one of terror; as though something had attacked her. Link jumped out onto a pillar to get a better look. She didn't have any injuries. She appeared to be frozen in suspended animation.

"Link! Look out!" Navi screamed frantically, "We don't know if it's safe!" She followed him out and flitted circles around his head.

Ralis watched the water rise up behind Link, _'Is it the shadow?'_ He thought. _'Or is it that Morpha thing he talked about?'_ He watched and waited to see if it took on a human shape but it didn't. It just stayed as a column rising up. It went high above Link's head and then curved down into a spiral around the unsuspecting blonde.

The other felt as though he'd lost his voice. He had to say something but his reaction was too delayed. He shouted in time for Link to turn and look as the thing wrapped itself around him.

Link felt himself be lifted off the floor. He tried to get free from the tentacle gripping him but it had his arms trapped at his sides. All he could do was kick. It coiled up and threw him, sending him into the wall. His body narrowly missed the spikes lining the walls and landed in a heap on the ground. He heard it pursue him and tried to get up.

Ralis drew his sword and lunged at the beast before it got to Link. He jabbed the Master Sword at it only to see the blade pass through it. He fell forward and found himself caught by the creature. It coiled around him and threw him as it did with Link; only this time when he hit the wall it shot a piece of its gelatinous body at him. The substance covered his torso and stuck him there. He glared down as it went for Link again. By this time the blonde had gotten up and was doing his best to dodge its grabs. Ralis struggled against the thing binding him to the wall. He could get his arms to move about five or six inches before the substance behaved elastically and snapped back back, he was getting nowhere fast. He'd have to think of something else.

He saw Link take out his bow and attempt to shoot the creature. The arrow passed through it, just like the sword, and whizzed through the air and stuck in the wall; coming very close to lodging itself in Ralis' arm as it did so. "Hey, watch it!"

"Sorry!" He called, ducking under the creature's arm. "Got any ideas on how to beat this thing?"

"Nothing comes to mind," He muttered while glaring at the thing.

He busied himself with trying to think of a way to get down so that he could be of more help. He'd had some doubts, but this predicament had him in the position of useless sidekick rather than partner. If he was still being affected by the cold, the fairy's magic had made it difficult to tell. Making it only more pressing that they finish this before any ailments could get strong enough to take effect again.

There were several targets on the wall, almost marking the safe areas free of spikes. _'If I can reach my Clawshot…'_ He pursed his lips while he rummaged for the item. His arm, or rather the gel, didn't want to cooperate. He could feel it trying to snap back into position, the only thing stopping it were his bones. And it felt as though they were going to give if he didn't find the weapon soon. "Broken arm is next on the list I suppose." He grumbled, rolling his eyes he grabbed what he was looking for and let his arm fall back to where the gel wanted it. Now he just had to do his best to aim with the small amount of time given. And if aiming was impossible, he could always keep firing the claws until they latched onto something.

Link had tried most of his arsenal with little success. Everything passed through it. He had Navi working on examining it and she noticed that the gelatinous goop wasn't exactly moving on its own. There was a red sphere swirling around and moving throughout the tentacles. She'd seen it scooting around just below the surface since the battle started. It had to be the thing's brain. Or something close to a brain.

"Link! Use the Hookshot and aim for the nucleus!" The fairy called before going to fly circles around the sphere.

"Huh?" Was all that Link said. He was still too preoccupied with dodging. He had to keep moving in this battle if he wanted to avoid being caught again.

Ralis had finally managed to put his plan into motion and freed himself as Navi had shouted her orders. "What?" He said, looking at where she was flying. It seemed familiar. Very familiar. Every monster he'd fought had a weakness like that; almost always taking the shape of a large yellow eye. In fact, this fight was like the one he'd been through in his own Water Temple. Before the Morpheel had revealed itself, it'd done something exactly like this. "She's right!" He yelled, springing off the wall and landing on his feet. "The nucleus is the weak point! You have to catch it and stab it!"

"If you say so," Link shrugged. He aimed the Hookshot and fired, only to have the sphere move out of the way. With a slight growl, he tried again. Still missed. It was clear to see that this monster wasn't stupid, as the nucleus never stopped moving.

He was so frustrated he didn't see the iron claws from Ralis' side clasp around the thing in the corner Link had forced it into. When the other retracted the chain he simultaneously brought out his blade and sliced it. The force of the blow caused the red ball to fly toward Link, also having unsheathed his sword, who stabbed it.

Rather than die, the creature became enraged. Though it didn't create much trouble. It just made another tentacle as a type of distraction. Nothing the two of them couldn't handle. They kept moving and worked together in trapping the nucleus so the other could catch it. They kept to that strategy and landed several more hits. It made another shrill noise, perhaps even angrier or perhaps clinging to life. Once the nucleus was back in the pool it moved swiftly, creating many more tentacles than any of them thought it was capable.

"What do we do now?" Navi shrieked, a tentacle moving past her.

The two heroes found themselves relieved of their weapons, swords knocked under spikes, Hookshot and Clawshot ripped out of their hands. Then it went after Link.

Their strategy was turned on them as it forced Link into a corner. He was trapped between two sets of spikes. With nowhere to run he found himself caught again. He expected to be tossed and impaled but wasn't. Instead he felt the tentacle begin constricting around his chest.

Ralis ducked down to avoid being captured himself and went for the nearby Clawshot. The monster saw him and grabbed him by the ankle. He'd grabbed the Clawshot, that was something, the only problem was he was suspended upside down and that was making it difficult to aim. To make things worse, the creature started swinging him back and forth. Any chance of aim was impossible with both him and the nucleus moving.

'_What am I doing? I don't even have a sword to strike it with!'_ He grimaced at the sound the joint made after a moment. Once again, he feared he might lose a foot on this endeavor. _'Rrrgh, all the blood is rushing to my head!'_ He grit his teeth and tried not to show any reaction. Just in case this thing was trying to get any sick thrill off of their pain. He could hear Link gasping for air up above. _'I have to do something…'_ Ralis bit his bottom lip.

Without warning, the monster dropped him. It wasted no time in hauling him back up, never having released its grip on his ankle. It also wrapped around his arms, running down his left and stealing his Clawshot once more. It didn't discard the weapon right away; it opted to taunt the blonde by holding it just out of reach. The action didn't work in discouraging him, however. Instead he struggled and fought to reach it. He was forced to stop when a tentacle wrapped around his neck and began to slowly crush his windpipe.

The fairy had had enough. She flew at the amoeba, screaming colorful obscenities. It was about all she could do. Her tiny form wouldn't faze the beast at all.

"Need help?"

Ralis did his best to look toward the door. He wasn't expecting to see the shadow standing there. His arms folded across his chest and wearing a cocky smirk. It was strange to think that the one put there to guard the beast was offering to help them defeat it. And if it weren't for the fact that he was seeing darkness emerge from the corners of his eyes he would've been confused. Something that he couldn't afford to waste time on now. Navi had turned her attention to the dark boy and was telling him to leave in the same language she'd just used to speak with the monster. His expression was one of apathy toward her words, obviously not taking her seriously, he was waiting for a real answer.

"…Yes…!" The younger finally managed to choke out.

"Well that's that," The shadow said contentedly. He swatted the fairy away from his ear and began to search from something to use. Plenty of dropped weapons on strewn about. Two of which didn't seem to like him. They gave off a threatening gleam whenever he so much as looked at them. He had a sword of his own but knew better than to try and cut through liquid. He had a visual of where that might lead. "How did you make Morpha so desperate?" He asked. The question directed at no one in particular. But Navi was the only one left who could speak.

"Oh, so now you'll listen to me?"

"I'd drop the attitude and just spill it," He answered, gesturing toward the two heroes in mid-peril.

Navi gulped down her prepared come back. The shadow was right. They needed help and he was the only one around who could do anything. "Fine!" She hissed, "Get Link's Hookshot and remove the nucleus from the gunk. That ought to make it drop them."

"Righto~!" He offered a mock salute before going after the Hookshot in the corner.

Morpha made another angry noise, as though it were yelling at the traitor, and sent several tentacles after him.

The fairy tried to warn him but soon saw it wasn't necessary. Each time a tentacle touched him the isolated area became water that the gel passed through before it reformed back to its original shape. His expression never changed, like he didn't even notice. It couldn't stop him.

Hookshot in hand, he came back to where Navi waited. "So just aim for its ugly mug?"

"Just do it!" She snapped. It sounded like he wasn't taking it seriously even though it was a matter of life and death.

He shrugged and fired the hook straight through the nucleus. Before it could retract, he let it go. With no weight holding it in place the item flew up to the hook and pushed it through the gelatinous material. It soared, with the nucleus stuck on the end, to the other end of the arena.

The blue liquid that had formed Morpha's body flooded back into the pool. Its captives fell, Link landed at the edge of the pool and barely dodged receiving a head injury, their rescuer caught Ralis before he was submerged and carried him to safety. The dark boy looked at the gleam resonating under the spikes and back to Link. Both the blondes were still trying to get air without realizing the monster wasn't _quite_ dead yet. He kicked the sword over to Link, who appeared to be recovering faster, and nodded toward the nucleus.

Link nodded in response before picking up the sword and staggering to his feet. He couldn't stop thinking about how they'd almost died. Even with one companion there, the amoeba had almost bested them. He stepped up to the remains of it on the Hookshot. The thing was still wriggling. He let the tip of the blade hover over it briefly, waiting for the nucleus to pull free. As soon as it got itself off of the hook he loosened his grip on the hilt and the blade fell through it to the floor.

"Thank you for saving us but…" Ralis had finally noticed where he was, "You can put me down now."

"No I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to."

"What? I don't know what you think-"

"Where's the hero?" The shadow asked, looking around and seeing that the pool had been drained. The annoying fairy was even missing. "Did he ditch you?"

"No," The blonde replied as he forced his way out of the other's arms and onto his feet. "Well… I don't think he would," He found his sword and jumped down into the pool to retrieve his Clawshot. There was another one of those blue portals. He'd been too preoccupied when Link had gone into it moments before. Ralis was reluctant to go through it; he was even considering walking back and going out the way they'd come in but a dark clad arm wrapped around his waist.

"Did he go in there?"

The blonde looked at the portal and nodded.

"Don't you think you should go after him?"

"Well yeah but there's time to go back to the entrance," Ralis answered. He was probably taken to the Chamber of Sages like last time and the sages seemed to like to chat. It was reasonable to go back, right? Anything to avoid the spinning.

"Nope!"

The next thing he knew he and the shadow were back outside. Standing on the dais that acted as the warp point. Dark Link had still had his arm around him but let go and ran off toward the edge of the island that housed the entrance of the temple. He'd never thought the world outside would look so different. It was much more spacious. He glanced at a large, yellow, orb rising into the sky that gave off warmth. And the ground was covered in a soft green color. Ralis, who he noticed was wearing a similar color, appeared beside him.

"Why, if you don't mind me asking, did you follow me? Back in there I mean." Ralis pointed down, indicating he meant in the temple.

"Oh!" The shadow reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out something green. "You forgot your hat," He said handing it to Ralis.

The blonde looked at the headpiece in his hands. It'd been given to him after he and Midna had cleared the Faron Wood of twilight. He'd lost it a few times before, always finding it where it'd dropped when he'd gone back through the area. Back then it had always felt strange to be without it. As though it were a symbol or something that other's used to identify him. It was true that some people had had trouble locating him when he'd lost it. It always made him feel terrible when he dropped it too, like it wasn't his to lose. Midna never understood. She'd been very focused on keeping to some sort of schedule and so she'd never let him look for it or go back for it. At one time she'd even taken it and left it somewhere. He'd cared about it so much. And now, though he'd briefly wondered where it'd gotten to, he'd forgotten it until it was back in his hands. What's more, someone who he'd judged to be an enemy had followed him just so they could return it. No one had ever done anything like that before. If he'd ever lost or forgotten anything he'd had to look for it himself or it was simply gone.

It was such a new concept, he didn't know what to do. Luckily, the moment was broken up by a ray of light shooting down from the sky onto the dais. The Hero of Time stepped out, looking as though he wasn't prepared to see the shadow outside.

"What is he doing here?" He asked, irritation relaying heavily through his tone.

Ralis was still slightly in a daze by the simple act of kindness. He didn't know what to say; perhaps because he didn't quite know himself.

"Isn't it obvious?" The dark boy shrugged, "I had nothing better to do so I'm following you."

"Absolutely not," Link replied.

"Hold on," Ralis cut in, "He's a skilled swordsman. It's not a bad idea."

"No, three's a crowd," Link argued, "Besides… he's not _that_ skilled."

"Hey! You cheated!" The shadow growled.

"You ch- Never mind," Ralis shook his head, "He defeated me."

"You were recovering from hypothermia," Link answered, looking unimpressed.

"You were sick?" The shadow gasped, "Man, I feel terrible now." He'd wondered why the second blonde's strength hadn't matched the amount of skill he'd displayed. Not to say that Link was weaker in any way. The younger boy had just seemed more _seasoned_ than the other.

"You should," Link glared, "Taking advantage of a weaker opponent like that."

"You **shot** me!"

"Enough!" Navi flitted between the two squabbling. "We're not taking one of Ganondorf's minions with us! You'll just have to go somewhere else!"

"Minion?" His red eyes narrowed, "I am **not** anyone's minion! That pigheaded bastard dropped me in there and left! Did he order me to defeat the Hero? Sure," He said more calmly, "I tried. I lost. Besides, **you** struck first."

"You're an enemy!" The fairy screamed, getting in the boy's face.

Now both Link and Ralis stood by and watched while the other's argued. Link had been so mad about the shadow's vulgar action that he'd forgotten Navi had forced that battle. She'd pushed his arm. It was all coming back.

"You didn't know if I was an enemy," Said shadow jeered, "I was just standing between you and the door. Not a very honorable act if you ask me." The smirk was back on his face.

The little fairy's blue light dimmed to a furious red, "You are evil!"

"That's a pretty bitchy accusation."

"It's the truth! Why else would you be in the temple?"

"You serious? I just told you that a moment ago," He waited for the red glow to flare up like fire, "Anyway, I was going to let him through the door. If you'd waited anyway. As his lil' buddy over there knows, I could've been reasoned with." He pointed to Ralis who jumped at being acknowledged.

"Reasoned with? Monsters don't know reason!"

"I'm as much a monster as you are a Moblin."

"You can't come with us!"

The fairy flitted away before any retort could be offered. The shadow simply grinned, "Who's gonna stop me? You?"

She flew back so fast all anyone could see was a streak of light, "Link will get rid of you!"

"Navi wait, don't get me involved," Link brought his hands up in front of him. He was still confused on which side to take. Now that the fairy was raging he was thinking more rationally. It didn't seem right to abandon someone without giving them a chance. Then again, he couldn't forget how Dark Link had used such an underhanded tactic. It was a bizarre one too. If Navi hadn't been there it would've worked. But, to be fair, there might not have _been_ a fight if Navi hadn't been there.

He was so lost in thought he began to wander off toward the bridge. The ball of light went screaming after him. Her voice could be heard for quite a ways. Ralis was just glad all the shouting was over. His ears had drooped, disputes like that were always so awkward.

"That went well…" The shadow sighed, "You alright…?" His expression went blank, "What's your name again?" He was behaving as though he'd forgotten but he couldn't forget what he didn't know.

"Call me Ralis," He answered after a moment. Slipping his hat back on, he turned to look at the other young man, "What should I call you?"

"Me?" His expression became one of pondering, "I'd never really thought about it." He didn't have a name as far as he knew. Just the label Dark Link. As though everyone was supposed to see him as nothing more that an evil counterpart to the hero. "Is Dark a name?"

The blonde's first impulse was to say 'no' but Link wasn't a classic name either, "Sounds good to me," He smiled. Watching Dark look around at the lake was amusing, enough to distract him. He'd look at Ralis every now and then but his eyes appeared to spot something new every few moments. It was reminiscent of a child who'd left home for the first time. A sentiment he would've shared if it hadn't been for the _events_ which forced him to leave home with an entirely different mindset.

Some time passed before Ralis decided he'd sat in the sun long enough. He headed toward the bridge, hoping that Link hadn't left the area in his confusion. He'd expected Dark to follow him. Where else was he supposed to go, back to the temple alone? But he wasn't expecting an arm to be put around his shoulders while they walked.

"So," Dark began, "We were all expecting the solo hero bit."

"I'd assumed as much."

"Well then how'd you get mixed up in all of this?"

The boy thought back on it. How it'd all started with Ganondorf showing up earlier than anticipated, the time travel, the gods, the sages, it all sounded pretty crazy. Then again, time travel was something he'd grown to accept. Still, it was a bit much to explain in casual conversation. "I more or less volunteered," He answered, "Not that I've been much help. My luck is terrible lately."

"What's luck got to do with it?"

"I've just been making a lot of stupid mistakes." There was the incident with the ReDead, then getting stuck in the room in the Fire Temple, missing the signal, slipping on the ice…

"Sounds to me like you're being too hard on yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"Did you do all of these things consciously? Because if you didn't then it's what you say it is. Bad luck. And there's nothing you can do about that. Luck is luck. It goes good some days and other days it doesn't. But you shouldn't beat yourself up over it."

Ralis was about to argue when they reached the shore and found Link. He appeared to have talked Navi down. She wasn't screaming anymore. But she wasn't agreeing with them either. Link had figured it was fine to give Dark a chance. She wouldn't allow it.

"I don't want you to get betrayed and regret this," She persisted.

"Navi, you don't know that he'll betray us," The hero replied. He looked as though this was as far as the conversation had gotten; with the fairy making assumptions and him telling her that they were just that.

"But what if he does."

"Then we'll deal with it then," He sighed.

She looked at Dark, "No."

"Well okay then," Dark smirked, "I won't_ follow_ you. I'll just walk behind you."

Ralis quickly covered his mouth with his hands in an attempt to stifle his laughter. He noticed Link had also found the remark amusing, though his attempt not to laugh was more successful. Neither of them succeeding in going unnoticed by Navi however. Her light dimmed down to a fuchsia as she growled her displeasure and embarrassment.

"You're laughing? You think he's funny? He's not funny! He's rude! And he's not the type of person either of you should be associating with!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Dark furrowed his eyebrows, "Can't you take a joke?"

"Yes I can! But-"

"I don't believe you."

The little fairy looked like she was about to explode. Link ushered her away to try and get her back to a state of calm. "Navi, perhaps you should take a quick break?" He pointed to his hat. Insinuating that she should retreat into it for a while.

"Link… Why don't you see it? He's evil!"

"Well that's just it. I'm not so sure he is," He frowned, "Take some time, relax, then come back and see if he's still the prince of darkness." She glared at him for a moment before taking a breath and disappearing into the hat.

While Link was away talking to the ball of rage, Dark had slipped his arm back around Ralis' waist. The blonde wore a look of confusion. People had clung to him before but not quite like this. Women and children would cling when monsters attacked out on the road, but that was out of fear. The children back in Ordon would hold onto his legs to try and stop him from going to work. But this was different. It was warmer, more affectionate. Of course it ended when Ralis sneezed and Dark jumped away.

"What was that?"

"Nothing to worry about," Ralis sniffed, "Just means I may be getting a cold, could be worse."

"Doesn't a cold mean you're sick?"

"Yes, technically it counts as an illness."

"And it's my fault…"

"What? No! I fell through the ice, it's no one's fault, remember?"

"Yeah, but that caused that hypowhatsit. And you were getting over that, and then I held you down in the cold water. And if that wasn't the cause of it, I'm gonna guess it didn't help."

He went on, though Ralis had tried to stop him. His mood wasn't one of guilt either. He seemed to be curious rather than what the blonde had assumed. It was more like he was trying to figure out the cause and effect of the sneeze, like he'd never encountered it before. It was a strange notion but not too farfetched. Dark had mentioned being trapped in the temple since his creation.

"So… Are you gonna die?" The question came as such a shock that Ralis didn't know how to respond. In order to be killed by something like a cold, the immune system had to be compromised first. But that would only lead to more complex questions.

"No, if this were fatal I wouldn't be so calm," was the response he decided on.

Dark looked like he was going to continue on the questionnaire when Link returned. The fairy was either absent or out of sight, neither of his companions cared to ask with the way that she'd been acting. She didn't do herself any favors when it came down to it. She had her uses, but that meant they all had to deal with her nosy habits and sour attitude. Ralis had seen that she could do many things to get on people's nerves in a very short time, but she'd broken her previous records with Dark. There was instant hatred there. It had yet to be seen whether or not it was mutual, like with himself and Ingo, but Navi had definitely made up her mind about Dark at a glance. And it probably wouldn't be fixed any time soon. Dark didn't appear to care one way or the other. He'd countered her arguments, yes, but in such a way that'd only made it worse; what with his cocky tone and the insults. Ralis hadn't encountered anyone like that since Midna. Both of them had a certain way with talking to people and it was fairly similar, of not the same.

"What's going on over here?" Link asked, "I heard someone shout."

"Your bud's got a cold," Dark answered, pointing as well as being blunt. Link turned to look where the shadow was pointing. Again, Ralis jumped at being noticed.

"Nah!" He'd tried to respond in a more intelligent manner but the way Dark had said it made it sound so accusatory. It took him off guard. And then they were both staring at him. _'Why did you do that?'_ He asked himself and sighed, attempting to regain some composure. "We don't know that yet, Dark. I told you it was nothing to worry about." The last part came out as more of a grumble that trailed off into silence.

Link raised a brow skeptically but shrugged. "Be that as it may, we should probably go back to Kakariko so you can take care of it."

"Isn't Kakariko a few days away?" Ralis asked. It wasn't so much the distance as it was being outside at night. He was by no means afraid of the dark, but the ReDead…

"It's about a day and a half, maybe two. Depends on how long we stop," Link answered. He was more or less oblivious to the dilemma. But he and Dark could both see there was something making Ralis uncomfortable. "Well, if you don't want to wait that long, we could see if the scientist has any potion."

"Scientist?" Both Ralis and Dark said at once.

"Yes, he lives in that lab right behind you." Link gestured to the nearby house.

"Lab?" Ralis turned on his heel, "I thought that was a boat house or a fishing hut."

"Nope, the fishing hole is across the lake."

A few moments passed in silence while Link's new companions looked between the areas he'd explored seven years before. The world had seemed so much brighter back then; with the absence of the dark cloud on his mind. Ganondorf had taken over Hyrule, and though it wasn't readily noticeable, it took the luster out of the land as well as the people. The Gerudo was being rather selfish compared to the previous king. Of course what could he have expected from someone like Ganondorf? Truth be told, he hadn't really met the man past the one encounter where the older man had demanded the ocarina and Link had refused to comply, it hadn't gone well. Yet, with the way the man had chosen to redecorate certain areas, it was plain to see that he was exactly the type of person everyone thought he was. Nothing to misunderstand about pits of lava and animated corpses, etcetera.

"Either way," Link sighed, "We'll need to head back toward Kakariko soon."

As soon as he'd spoken up Ralis froze. It was obvious that they couldn't stay put forever, and he knew that, he just didn't want to hear it. It made him feel childish and weak minded but he didn't see any way around it. Aside from facing his fear and, at this point, that sounded suicidal. _'Get a hold of yourself!'_ He thought, _'You've faced things much more frightening than zombies! Like…'_ He tried to think of what could possibly be more terrifying and was drawing a blank. Sure, a normal person would've run from most things he'd fought but the undead were the only things that could put him in such a state of shock. More specifically, undead monsters with flesh still attached. The Stalfos, or anything closely related to them, had given him a feeling of unease. And when he and Midna had assumed that was the only thing in Arbiter's Grounds it'd been just as bearable as all the other temples. That was until he'd come across the first corpse wrapped in bandages. He didn't know the correct name for it and didn't care to know. The only thing that mattered was that he was afraid of them.

"I'll go see if he has something." Link said before leaving the others. It would only take a minute, and it would give them more time to look around before they had to leave.

Dark rolled his eyes. That was the third or fourth time Link had ditched his comrade. Was it really that he was oblivious or was it that he just didn't know how or want to handle it? It could've been that he was a pro at giving people space but that wasn't always the right thing to do. There was clearly an issue that needed to addressed. Honestly, from what he'd seen, the two blondes were a dysfunctional team. "Problems?" He asked. An immediate response was too much to hope for, but someone had to say something.

"No," Ralis shook his head, "No problems."

"I see, I see," Dark nodded, "So you're sulking over nothing then?"

"I'm not sulking!"

"Then what do you call this?" He asked, gesturing at Ralis and everything he was currently doing.

"Nothing, I'm thinking."

"About what?" Dark pestered. It seemed like a good idea to get the blonde to **stop** thinking about whatever it was that was bothering him. And the quickest way to do that was to poke him until he refocused his energies. It looked as though his plan was failing, however, since Ralis ignored the question and went straight back to wherever he was in his mind. It was only a minor set back, Dark soon regained the blonde's attention when he started to repeat the question while literally poking him.

"Geh! Knock it off," Ralis mumbled, slapping the hand away from his face.

The persistence from both parties was driving the other crazy. But Dark wasn't going to be defeated so easily. Talking wasn't working, he'd have to try the opposite with a more physical approach. So, without stopping to think, he tackled Ralis. The blonde soon found himself pinned on his back and staring up at the other with wide eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"I'unno," Dark shrugged, "Whatever I feel like mostly." He smirked when he saw his actions had brought on the desired outcome. Or it had appeared to at least. The expression on Ralis' face along with the amount of struggling suggested that his mind had been unable to wander at the time. All Dark had to do was keep it up, which he was more than happy to do.

"Do you plan on stopping any time soon?" Ralis sighed, sounding annoyed. Although his mood quickly snapped back to agitated confusion when he saw Dark shake his head. "This isn't funny! Get off!"

"What're you gonna do about it?"

The blonde stopped for a moment and thought. The question was almost exactly what he'd asked him back in the temple. "Is this another ask you nicely thing?"

"Nope," Dark answered, "Although it's great that you actually thought of that this time." Before it had been such a shock that a hero couldn't think to say 'please.' Wasn't it assumed by most that the protagonist types were well mannered? And yet both the blondes had decided violence was the answer. Of course he couldn't be too harsh on them. Ganondorf's minions weren't intelligent. But, as he'd said, he wasn't really one of Ganondorf's minions. _'I don't feel like one anyway…'_ He frowned as he thought about it until he felt the blonde's knee hit him in the back.

The force of the blow caused him to fall forward. He had to guess that that was meant as an attempt to get him to move but it only made things worse. Now Dark was laying on top of him; just in time for Link to return to find them in a rather curious position.

**(A/N)** Well, this one came out shorter too… Ah well. I've been trying to stop them at fourteen pages rather than eighteen. Makes it easier for me to update a little faster. The truth is that I've just given myself way too many projects to do and have a lot of trouble with time management. But I won't quit on any of them! I hate it when others do it to me so why would I do it?


	7. Chapter 7

**(A/N~ READ THIS PLEASE)** I've been getting asked by (two off the top of my head) some people why I describe the Twilight Princess Link as the younger of the two. Well there's a very simple reason for that. And it goes beyond that that is my personal interpretation of their ages. It's not a huge gap. Physically, they're only a year apart. I interpret it that way because the older form in Ocarina of Time is referred to as "Adult Link." This makes me think that he is, physically, at least seventeen. I know that new information from Ocarina of Time 3D conflicts with that but it also conflicts with older information from Super Smash games. Anyway, the pamphlet that comes with Twilight Princess gives a brief excerpt of the story; in which Link is constantly described as a "boy." That led me to believe he was on the younger side, judging by his looks in-game, sixteen-ish. So! In this story Ocarina of Time Link is physically seventeen but mentally a mature ten (since the time skip was seven years) and Twilight Princess Link is an early sixteen. But the simple reason is just that I needed to have another difference between the two besides the name change. There are a lot of theories when it comes to these games, a lot of people have their own interpretations and I am by no means saying anyone is wrong. But I will say that their ages are inconsequential to the story and won't be stressed beyond vague adjectives.

Phobias

"What's going on?" Link asked, he'd gone into the lakeside laboratory to inquire about potions and had come back to find his comrades on the ground. Dark, the newest to the team, was currently on top of the youngest of the group. It looked as though they'd been wrestling. Although it was odd, he got the feeling he was interrupting something. Dark had been whispering in the other's ear. They didn't appear to have noticed he was there until he'd spoken up.

Once given the opportunity, Ralis shoved the shadow off of him and scrambled to his feet. "Nothing," He answered quickly. Frankly, he was glad that Link had come back when he did. Dark had been acting strangely just then. It wasn't bad, hardly even unsettling, just strange. He appeared to be back to normal now. But when they were alone a moment ago he'd had this look about him.

"Is everything alright?" Link continued to question.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Dark sighed. He got up and brushed himself off before putting his arm around Ralis' shoulder. He noticed that the boy tensed a little but relaxed after a moment. Which made sense because he hadn't actually done anything warranting that sort of reaction. Had he considered trying something? Of course. But he didn't want to hurt the other by doing so. He also would never dream of acting without his consent. All he'd done was tease. It was amusing to see the blonde's facial expression go from one extreme to another; they both did it in fact.

"Well the scientist didn't have any potions he was willing to part with," Link scratched the back of his head, "So we should probably head back toward Kakariko now."

"He really didn't have anything?" Ralis began to feel anxious just thinking about being out at night.

"I'm sorry?" Link raised a brow, "I tried my best to explain the situation but he was adamant."

"We woulda had to leave eventually anyway," Dark added, "Remember?"

"Exactly," Link nodded, "Do you think you can make it?" He looked to the younger with concern when he shrugged. There was no doubt that there was a problem and yet Ralis seemed reluctant to talk about it. His comrade was brave in the face of danger and confident in his abilities, until the sun went down. He'd behaved that way consistently each and every time his travels required them to be out late. Or at least when they had to be out in the field. There was the nervousness he'd shown when the sun was setting while they rescued Malon; Ralis had also expressed something close to fear while they made their way to the Ice Caverns. The constant act of looking over his shoulder could've very well been the reason why he fell through the ice. And then there was now. It was obvious that there was an issue in need of exploration. But Link wasn't one to pester others about such things. As long as he wasn't the one to blame for the problem then he was willing to overlook it.

"Yeah, I can make it," Ralis murmured.

"Are you sure?" Dark asked.

"Yes," The blonde answered, "I think I'll be okay."

"Good," Link said before heading toward the field, "Let's get out of here."

"There's more?" The shadow wondered aloud. The other two turned to look at him with confusion on their faces. "Out there I mean…" He pointed in the direction Link had been moving toward.

"What?" The hero asked.

"You thought… _this_ was the world?" Ralis all but gaped at him.

"Well," Dark furrowed his eyebrows, "I thought it was kinda weird. It definitely wouldn't take two days to cross the lake. And I didn't see that village you kept talking about anywhere." The faintest shade of pink came to his face, "Y'know what, I shoulda just kept my mouth shut. Never mind."

"No, no, it's fine. You didn't know, right?" Ralis said while they walked. Dark had never been outside of the temple, it was understandable. He must've been aware that there was a world outside but couldn't fathom just how much bigger it was.

They moved northeast to the gate where the horses were supposed to be waiting. And yet the mare and gelding were nowhere in sight. They weren't anywhere out in the field where they could see and there were no sounds to indicate that they were in earshot.

"That's going to slow things down…" Link sighed.

"Don't you have a way to call her?" Ralis asked, thinking about the peculiar grass back home. Or rather, forward in his own time.

"Yes, but I'm not sure if Theran will respond to it," Came the response. Ralis hadn't thought of that. If the current mare was anything like the Epona he knew then there was always that tune to reach her with. It was not necessarily the same with the gelding. And from what Malon had said Theran was a might spirited. Perhaps this was a sign that he would become more difficult in the future? It was nice to think that the cause was some other reason but the afore mentioned was a possibility.

"But what do we do? Just hope they turn up?" He took another brief look around the field and still saw no sign of their steeds.

"I don't see the harm in walking," The hero said whilst gesturing with an uncomfortable look, "The trip will be a bit longer though…"

"Oh…" Ralis exhaled, "Guess that makes sense."

Dark had been busy gawking at the vast landscape. He'd never imagined such lush fields or the surrounding wood inhabited by trees far more mature than he'd ever seen. It was a spectacle not even his dreams had shown him. And then it was marred when he noticed the familiar frown on Ralis' face. He couldn't help but roll his eyes at how Link was fidgeting rather than asking what was wrong. Of course it didn't do much to ask, he'd been shot down when he'd given it a try. It was unlikely that anyone else would have any more luck with it. The only thing to do at this point was distract him, not that Link was even attempting that.

"Got any idea what you're supposed to do?" Dark said almost anxiously. The moment was too awkward; someone had to do something to get the blondes to move on. It seemed like they would just stay there for days as it was.

"No," Link shook his head, "And I don't think it's a good idea to ask yet." Obviously he was referring to the would-be furious fairy presumably cooling off in his hat.

"Ah yes," Dark sighed, "I'm still evil?"

"Well you haven't proved yourself yet."

"He hasn't had the chance," Ralis argued, "I think he has anyway. He saved us."

"And he just let you pass, right?" Link asked. The question sounded like he might be mocking or perhaps didn't believe him and yet he looked sincere.

"I did indeed," Dark answered, "Granted, I had some fun first, but I let him go."

"You had… some fun?" Link furrowed his eyebrows. He couldn't help but wonder what the shadow considered fun. He'd appeared to have some strange ideas on what was fun.

"Yes," He nodded, "And then I opened the door because you apparently fail at the solo hero routine."

"Excuse me, what?" The hero queried, "I don't _fail_ at this. I'm still getting the hang of it, alright? I'm not instantaneously good at everything I do, okay?"

"Whoa, easy there Linky," Dark took a step back, "I was only kidding. Besides, you both needed to be rescued by yours truly."

"Linky?" The blonde glared, "Did you seriously just call me Linky?"

Ralis wandered away before an argument could break out. The teasing wasn't exactly the best way for the shadow to prove himself, much less get on anyone's good side. He didn't see the logic behind it. Perhaps he just didn't know how to behave or read emotions? After having gotten someone so angry wasn't the best time to drop an odd nickname. The shadow appeared to be, at best, abrasive and impulsive. Yes, he could attest that Dark was impulsive. But if he was actually anything like Midna then he simply didn't know any other way to interact. Nevertheless, it was strange that he would choose now of all times, when his identity as friend or foe was under question, to begin the possible burning of a bridge. And right after Ralis had stood up for him too. He didn't know why he'd done it.

"Calm down, calm down," Dark sighed, "I didn't mean anything by it, geez."

"I should hope not," Link stormed off in the direction Ralis had gone.

"You're not seriously angry are you?" The shadow called after the blonde. As bad as his timing was, he hadn't actually done anything to warrant such a reaction.

"I'm not angry, I'm annoyed."

"Really?" Dark asked, "It was a joke!"

"Well then don't joke about that."

Ralis blinked after hearing the response. It was petty, or maybe immature was the correct term. There were plenty of times where people wish others wouldn't bring something up but to actually tell them not to, mostly in the tone in which he'd used, it wasn't done frequently. Not from his experience anyway. Perhaps it was what one should do in that sort of situation but hearing it just sounded odd.

"I don't get it," The shadow sighed, "Ralis can you-"

The young Hylian glanced over in time to see the other two freeze in their tracks. He could only furrow his eyebrows at their horror stricken faces; he opened his mouth to ask what was wrong only to lose his voice like the other two upon seeing a familiar form overtake his own. The same hulking figure he'd failed to best a few days ago. And, like last time, his ears went down. The creature raised an enormous club as high as it could and tried to bring it down on Ralis' head. Ralis leapt back but still found himself caught in the shockwave. His feet left the ground once more as he was thrown backward toward the others, landing hard on his back.

"A Moblin?" Link shouted, "What is it doing outside the forest?"

"Revenge it seems," Dark answered while watching the beast draw closer; its eyes fixed on the small blonde between them.

Link looked down at Ralis, "Is **that** the monster you didn't kill?" He received a sullen nod from his partner who had the face of a scolded child. "This is just great."

"No time to bitch now!" Dark yelled to draw their attention back to the monster. He was right to do so; the Moblin was preparing to strike once again. The club was raised and poised to strike the ground with shattering force. If it managed to hit either of the blondes with the weapon they'd be severely injured. Even if it hit him he was sure it would take his body a while to reform. Although there was something about that that was making him think twice. Something felt different, and it had felt different ever since he'd left the temple.

Link drew his sword and rushed toward it, leaving the other two to their on devices. The shadow glanced at the young boy on the ground; Ralis looked as though he were at a loss on what to do. Quickly, he looked back to the hero to make sure he was alright. Link wasn't going to defeat the beast any time soon but he had it sufficiently distracted. Dark stooped down and offered his hand to the other, "C'mon. You're not hurt are ya'?"

Ralis eyed the hand before taking it, "No. I was just…"

"Just what?" Dark pulled the boy to his feet and made to summon his own blade.

"I don't know. How are we supposed to fight that thing?"

"Well…" Dark exhaled, "We've got it outnumbered for one, and two, it's stupid."

"But it's so strong," Ralis said, observing the flying clumps of earth.

"Strength doesn't equal victory," Dark shook his head, "Does it help? Sure. But you can't always count on it. Especially if you've got no brains telling ya' how to use it."

'_Guess that's true'_ Ralis thought to himself. He put a hand on the Master Sword and paused. Dark had already jumped in to help Link but they still weren't making any progress. What he'd said before was correct, this creature had amazing physical strength, but Dark had also been right. It didn't appear capable of coming up with a strategy past swing the club. The strikes weren't timed or positioned in any sort of way. It was merely striking over and over. He thought back on what he'd done in a panic the first time he'd faced it. He'd been able to injure it with a back slash. Something that was looking more and more promising as time went on.

Its weapon choice was also something to note. The club was massive. And though it was impressive and an intimidating tool it showed yet more flaws. The Moblin was a titan of a beast and yet it showed overconfidence in its strength by choosing a club of that size. It could lift it, but had to wield it with both hands and even then could only lift it about mid-waist in height. And when it'd grabbed him the club was on the ground and had to be dragged. The weapon was too heavy for it. This gave him quite a few effective options to bring it down.

With his analysis complete, he moved in to join the others. They had their hands full dodging the flying dirt and rock whenever the club struck. He'd have to hang back and wait for an opportunity to arise. A weapon that heavy gives yet more power to the already strong wielder but it also impedes their movement. That meant there was a, albeit small, window after it'd attacked.

Link jumped back to avoid a broken head and saw Ralis standing next to him. The young man was standing still out of the monster's strike range. He wondered briefly what he was doing before he heard a growl of pain; Dark had cut the Moblin's leg. Enraged, the beast swung the club horizontally and hit the shadow in the side, sending him tumbling a few yards. He cringed at the sound the hit had made but didn't fail to see it'd left him an opening.

He dove in and slashed the creature on the thigh, it roared and turned to face him. Taking one had off the club, it attempting to grab him. Ralis ran in and hit the Moblin with his shield to stop its advance. Seeing that his ploy had worked he jumped to the side to avoid the crushing hand. Before the Moblin could attack again he jumped, rolled so that he was behind the monster, and spun, slicing its unprotected back.

The beast fell forward and just missed crushing Link as it did so. The hero stood there wide eyed as Ralis took a running jump towards it, plunging his sword into its back and through its heart. After a final cry the Moblin dissipated, leaving nothing but smoke. He'd never seen him fight like that before.

"What'd I miss?" Navi asked, popping out with a yawn.

They all turned toward Dark, who was laughing, "Damn that was fun!" He jumped up from his position on the ground. "Way to go team! Where's another one? Let's kick some ass! Woo!"

All Link could do was continue to stare while a slight smile pulled at Ralis' lips, "Seriously! What did I miss?" The fairy flitted about frantically.

"Only the most spectacular battle ever!" Dark continued on cheerfully. He looked down at his knees before removing his gloves and rolling up his sleeves, "I have scrapes! Guys, I have bruises!"

The three looked at him quizzically, "You were hit pretty hard," Link said with a touch of concern, "Doesn't it hurt?"

"Well… Yeah, but it's never happened before."

"You can be hurt?" Ralis asked, "I thought you could do that water trick."

Dark folded his arms, "I guess that was the repercussion."

"What?" They all seemed to ask.

The shadow clicked his tongue and thought. He _did_ have quite a few abilities like morphing into water, appearing to teleport by travelling through water and reforming elsewhere, and isolating areas on his body that would've been otherwise injured and turning them into water just before impact. Those abilities had always given him a certain feeling but now, "Guess I can't," He shrugged. The others still looked confused. "It wasn't for lack of trying. I tried to do that when I saw the club coming but it didn't work. And no, I can totally be hurt. If I don't react fast enough I'm just like you two. Link saw that when he shot me in the chest." He and the hero both frowned at the mention of the incident. "Anyway, I think the temple was the only place I could use those powers or, at the very least, it gave me a boost."

"Really?" Ralis' ears pricked slightly.

"I'unno," The shadow shrugged again, "It's too soon to tell."

Link bit his lip, still thinking about what he'd just seen. It was difficult for him to resist being envious of the other boy's skills. What was that? And why hadn't he used those moves before in other fights? It would've been a lot of help. Especially that last strike. If Ralis had done that in the fight with Volvagia, or even Morpha, the battle would've been won much sooner with less trouble.

"Why didn't you do that when you first fought this thing?" Link finally asked. He was trying his best not to sound or appear to be angry. He was more puzzled than angry.

Ralis pointed to himself in a dumbfounded way before answering, "I couldn't have. Those techniques are all about timing and the creature wasn't giving me the chance to find the right moment."

"What?" Navi chimed, "What're you talking about? What did he do?"

"He defeated a Great Moblin singlehandedly," The hero said disheartened.

"S-Singlehandedly?" Ralis blurted out before the fairy could speak, "I did no such thing! I dealt the finishing blow but I never could've done that if it weren't for you two." He paused for a moment, "The beast's speed was a factor, as well as its stamina. You two injured it, weakening it and reducing its reaction time by several seconds. That is what allowed me to come in with a back slice and finish it. Though, I first had to draw it away from you with a shield attack."

"A what?" Navi asked.

"A shield attack," Dark said while fixing his clothes, "It's when he nails you with that metal monstrosity. And I can tell you from experience, it **really** hurts."

"I thought you said he reasoned with you," The fairy replied with a brow raised.

"Oh he did," Dark smirked, "After I totally owned him."

The younger boy's jaw dropped and his face turned beet red. Something that Dark only smiled at. Ordinarily a loss wouldn't be so embarrassing; however he had done something to both of the blondes to elicit such a reaction. He could see that Link was also blushing slightly. And true, what he'd done to the Hero of Time was a bit more disconcerting, nothing Link would ever admit happened, but Ralis' reactions were so much funnier. Of course he hadn't yet tried anything of that caliber; perhaps he would be just as angry as Link had been.

"We should get moving," Link finally broke the silence, "No point in standing here all day."

They made their way across the field, the whole while listening for the horses, and eventually came to a patch of trees. The sun was on the horizon by the time Link spoke up for them to stop. Ralis checked to see how far they'd progressed and was dismayed to find they'd hardly even made it to the river. The sun was going down and the dark always reminded him of his encounter with the ReDead.

The recollection of those monsters restraining him, the sting of their teeth tearing into his skin, the empty eyes paralyzing him, it'd been so terrifying that the memory still shook him up. Sometimes he even felt sick, recalling the smell of death. The entire city had had it. Even just remembering how the wound had looked afterward. It was as though he'd been turning into one of them. He touched a hand to the spot where it'd been. The old woman told him it was only an infection. It was just so shocking that the festering wound had been there without him noticing. So many things had happened since then, but it still bothered him more than most other dealings with monsters. The only thing that seemed to be worse in his memory had been what'd happened with Ganondorf. The crushing darkness, that was the real problem, that was why he was here. Though he still couldn't understand why they'd sent him back to another time where Ganondorf was, if anything, more powerful. There was no way for him to know what he was up against; he'd yet to see Ganondorf. He had to guess he'd been close by in that city, judging by the looks of it. Which meant the real terror was being guarded by the ReDead.

"Don't even try to lie to me this time," Ralis looked to see Dark approaching. It wasn't hard for him to look confused by the statement. "There's definitely something bothering you."

"It's nothing to worry about…"

"Are you kidding?" Dark scoffed, "You've been weird ever since we left the temple. I know I can't say much because I haven't been around you for very long but seriously. Link has been noticing something off about you. Hero boy's just too polite or somethin' to ask."

"Or maybe he doesn't ask because he knows it doesn't matter?" Ralis tried to pitch but he could see Dark wasn't going to let it go this time.

"What's the matter with your neck?" The shadow nodded towards it, Ralis still had his hand on it and hadn't even noticed. "Does it have something to do with all this?" Before any more could be said he stepped up to the blonde and removed the hand he had over the area. It was easily overlooked but there was still a pinkish mark there. "What's that?" To the brunette it looked like something completely different. "I didn't know you had… anyone."

"What're you talking about?"

"Is it…?" He trailed off and pointed to Link. "Because that's a little weird. I thought you were related or somethin'. But uh…"

"What?" Ralis furrowed his eyebrows.

"It explains things I suppose."

"What explains what?" The blonde asked.

"Are you two…?" The shadow crossed his middle and index fingers.

Ralis squinted at the gesture before widening his eyes in understanding, "What? No! Wha- How? We're related, that's gross, I don't even-"

"Okay, okay, shh! No need to tick off Link any more than I already have," Dark said while trying get the other to calm down. "It was a… not so simple mistake. It was a pretty stupid one actually. Of course you wouldn't do that but if not then who's the girl?"

"You're completely misunderstanding the situation here," Ralis sighed.

"I- oh? Really? It's not a hickey then?"

"A what?" He raised a brow, being unfamiliar with the word. "No, it's an old injury that's healing."

"Ah, so what happened?"

"What do you mean? I got hurt, isn't that explanation enough?"

"Hmm," He thought for a moment, "For now I suppose. It's a no-brainer that whatever happened is what's making you act strangely." He shrugged and went to offer Link some help in setting up camp.

'_Well that's obvious'_ Ralis thought to himself while trying to figure out why the shadow would think he had the time and attention for a relationship of that nature. He'd found himself rather fond of Midna once the insults and, albeit, cruel treatment had stopped. Or at least she'd tried to be more on the polite side rather than treating him like a puppet. Still, he had tried his best to be more of a friend than anything else. There were simply too many factors when it came down to it. He wasn't sure what he felt, whatever he felt he couldn't know if she felt it back, and most of all they were busy saving the world. Such a thing didn't allow the time for people to become romantic, much less know if it was real. Much too much going on.

He also wondered why Dark had seemed so interested. It was strange that he would genuinely want to know enough to ask so often. Of course now he'd managed to give him enough of a hint to keep him occupied for a while, perhaps trying to come up with a more educated guess. While the previous conversation had been a bother it was nice to have someone care. Though Ralis didn't know if talking about any of it would help at all. It wasn't something he'd been able to do. When he'd first started out on his journey he'd been able to put up a brave front for the most part, despite being afraid. In the beginning he learned to try his best to hide the fear since any sign of it was discouraged. That was then, and even after Midna had started making an effort to be nicer, fear still wasn't something she wanted to deal with. She offered little help in Arbiter's Grounds. He had to wonder if it could have been because she was afraid as well. Even if that was the case, he was the one who had to be strong.

When the undead monsters had first reared their ugly heads she was silent. He didn't know what to do and found himself shaking uncontrollably. For the longest time those had been the creatures he'd feared the most. The way they laid flat and unmoving until one ventured too close; at which time they would lurch up and their jaws would fall open, dragging themselves along until they were close and then… Ralis shook his head and covered his ears at the memory of that shriek. He could recall a time when there two guarding a narrow passage with a door around the corner. He'd managed a blind swing of the sword and separated an arm from one's body. It'd been so unfazed, merely unhinging it's jaw the way they did and calling out to the other. The sight of the two of them making that sound, he'd lost it and retreated back to the entrance of the hallway. The look he'd gotten and the anger in Midna's voice when she'd struck him. The gesture was only an attempt to snap him out of his hysteria, since she'd ended the rant with, 'Pull yourself together!' But that hadn't helped in any way. His progression through the door had been due to a surge of adrenaline, causing him to tear past the enemies and through the door so quickly he hardly remembered it.

"Oh well…" He told himself as he got up to join the others. Dwelling on things was counterproductive and he wasn't about to be caught moping while there was work to be done.

The other two were making an attempt to set up camp. It would've been an easy task if not for the fact that most of his camping gear was on Epona's saddle. With the horses missing there were a few things he was unsure about. The biggest concern, of course, was food but he'd often had trouble making fires in the past. He'd told Dark to gather wood nonetheless. Still, the flints he'd used were with Epona. Normally, a fire wasn't a dire necessity since he had food provided for him. Now, it looked like they'd need to cook something; which meant they would have to kill something. He wasn't a vegetarian or anything. He just couldn't be around when they killed whatever it was they were eating, he'd always found a way around it. Perhaps he could just get the shadow to kill something?

As soon as he'd been thought of, Dark came crashing out of a nearby tree with a severed branch. The two blondes froze with a look of shock and confusion. Link had forgotten that Dark wasn't familiar with how to do most tasks.

"Is this good?" He asked, referring to the branch in terms of firewood.

"It's uh…" Ralis scratched the back of his head, "Well it's not bad."

"What the heck was that noise?" Navi jumped up from hiding in Link's hat only to see the branch. "You chopped up a tree?"

"Isn't that how you gather wood?"

"No, you idiot! You-"

"Hold on, hold on," Ralis stepped between the two, "Yelling isn't necessary."

The fairy glared at him but conceded and went to talk to Link. Dark looked at the other with no sense of understanding. Ralis did his best to think of a way to explain things without sounding condescending. Not that he'd ever had a problem with that it was just that back home he'd always ha to explain things to children. He didn't want to make things worse by causing Dark to become offended.

"Did I do something wrong?" Dark spoke up.

"No, not wrong, just… unnecessary," Ralis answered. "It's just that it's better to gather sticks that have already fallen off the tree instead of cutting a branch."

"Why?" Came the expected question.

The blonde looked around for something that would make this easier to explain. "Well, see the leaves on the branch?" The shadow nodded. "The green color means that they were healthy, which shows that the tree was healthy, see?"

"No, what's the difference?"

"Basically, the stuff on the ground is dead but the trees are alive."

"Oh…" Dark glanced back at the branch, "Do they feel pain?"

Ralis also looked at the branch and then back to the shadow, "I don't know." In his experience he would have to say that they didn't and yet he couldn't say anything for sure. They did appear to take notice of some sort of disturbance; and when cut deeply the sap acts like blood. But he'd never encountered a talking tree before, though he knew they existed at one time. Perhaps here the trees were more alive than they were in his own time. "But it's still something we avoid doing."

"Makes sense I guess," Dark shrugged.

The two went about gathering up enough sticks to make a fire and then some. And Dark was pleased to find that simply picking up fallen branches took less time than cutting them off. In the meantime, Link and Navi were trying to figure out where the next sage was located. By the lay of the land Navi could tell they were closer to the Kokiri Woods than anything else.

"I'll go see what I can find out from the other fairies," She said after a moment of silence.

"Will you be alright by yourself?"Link asked; since they'd been on this journey, she'd never been that far away from him before.

"Frankly, I'm more concerned about leaving you alone with **that** guy," She looked pointedly at Dark.

Link glanced at the boy in question. No matter how long, or how many times he told her to relax, she didn't trust him. She didn't trust him or the judgment of Ralis and Link. "It'll be fine," Link sighed, "Besides, I won't be alone with him." He gestured toward the other blonde who was back to staring off into space. Seeing that didn't make Navi feel too much better about leaving but she did anyway; they had to find out what to do next.

"Did it suddenly get quiet?" Dark smirked. The fairy was well out of earshot, not that it would've stopped him if she weren't.

"Don't get too used to it," Link said as he snapped his fingers next to Ralis' ear, effectively bringing him to his senses. "Either of you two know how to build a fire?"

"Build a _what_ now?" Dark raised a brow. Neither of the heroes could be sure on whether or not he was serious. It wouldn't be too outrageous of an idea and yet how could he know about so many random things and then not know others?

"I don't know how to start a fire but I have a lantern, we could probably use that to light it."

Link looked up from his work of placing stones in a circle to contain the fire, "Where did you get a lantern?" He asked, bewilderment on his face.

Ralis thought back to the very start of his journey, meeting Coro in Faron Woods, how the birds had made their nest in his hair; he wished they were all in his own time so he simply introduce them to all of the people he'd encountered. Unfortunately, that would never happen. "I got it from a hermit selling lantern oil."

He decided that would be the best way to answer. He couldn't be sure hermit was the best word to use but Coro was definitely living in seclusion. He'd met so many people on his journey but Coro was the first one he'd come across. Before any of the mess with Zant had started, he met Coro when he'd ventured into the woods to rescue Talo. Not only that, but Coro was the only person who wasn't afraid of him when he was stuck in his wolf form. It was understandable that most people were scared but it was nice to have at least one person who didn't shout or try to hurt him. Coro's older sister, Iza, had even gone so far as to threaten to turn him into a coat!

"Hermit?" Dark asked, "Where did you come across a hermit?"

"Seriously?" Link stared, "You know _hermit_ but you don't know **fire**."

"I know what fire is," The shadow blinked.

"But you just asked-" Link started but was cut off.

"I know what it is, I just don't know how you expect us to build something we can't touch."

"That's not…" Link tried to answer but found himself dumbstruck by the strange statement. How was he supposed to respond to that? "You don't build the _fire_," He stopped and thought about how to explain. "It's just something people say, but they don't literally mean build a _fire_. What you do is more like build the place the fire will go and then light it on fire. But that's a lot to say, so people shorten it by just saying 'build a fire', see?"

"I think so," Dark nodded.

"So," Ralis wondered, "Where does your baser knowledge come from?"

"I'unno," He shrugged, "I just know some stuff. And then other stuff I don't."

The two couldn't help but stare at that. It wasn't something they were normally confronted with, selective knowledge. And though they both knew that Dark wasn't created by normal means, like any other person, they kept on forgetting all that might entail. He was never intended to leave the temple after all, and you only needed to know so much to fight. His only purpose had been to fight, and hopefully defeat, the Hero of Time. Once he'd failed that it was a wonder why he was still around. The whole thing was a mystery that Dark didn't appear to even think about.

"That's a little odd, don't you think?" Ralis spoke up.

"Maybe," Dark shrugged again, "But there's no need to worry about it."

Ralis thought about it for another moment but soon dropped the concern to go look for food before it got dark. Link didn't give it another thought before he went back to laying out the fire pit. Even if there was need to concern, knowing wouldn't help, what could they do? The only real solution to the issue would've been to abandon Dark somewhere and neither were very willing to do that. The course of action would only serve to breed unnecessary resentment.

The search for food was going slowly as Ralis was stuck thinking about how he'd spoken with many animals. He knew that they needed to eat something and he wouldn't be deterred from it. It just took him some time to guilt himself into it rather than out of it. There had been plenty a time when he'd been stuck as a wolf and needed to eat. When that happened he often went without. Being able to understand what the animal is screaming as it dies is enough to kill the appetite. But this time he needed something to prevent himself from succumbing to the lingering illness. His search only given more urgency when he sneezed again. Of course a cold when compared to how bad the hypothermia had been wasn't bad at all. Getting sick wasn't new to him and, since his immune system was normally strong, when he got sick it was awful. Typically, it was an ailment that would cause people to refrain from being active until they were better; but it was yet another instance where Midna was less than understanding. Once he'd cleared the Eldin province of twilight he'd come down with something, judging by the symptoms, he'd assumed it was some kind of pneumonia; and since it was before the imp had decided to be nicer, he'd had to travel the fields and fight monsters with a high fever and trouble breathing. Memories like that always made him wonder why he'd cared about her so much since she'd yelled at him for almost passing out. He just had to remind himself that she'd been so caring after the confrontation with Zant in the Lanayru Spirit Spring. He could remember that she'd done so much to save him when Ganondorf attacked.

All of his thoughts came to a screeching halt when something jumped out at him; the shock caused him to attempt and fail at a dodge, slipping and falling instead of executing a back flip. Quickly, he looked up to see what had attacked him and only saw Dark with an amused look on his face.

"Geez, you're jumpy!" He laughed.

"Why would you do that?" Ralis shouted, he'd thought it'd been a ReDead.

Dark stopped laughing for a moment, "Because it was funny."

"How was that funny?" The blonde stood up and dusted himself off angrily.

"Oh c'mon, quit poutin', it was a little funny."

Ralis' face reddened slightly at being accused of pouting, "You scared me."

"Well, I'm sorry, but your face was just too good to pass up," He said with a grin. Dark was a little worried that he'd made him angry but it was true, the frightened expression was something he just had to see again. "And I was bored." That appeared to make the boy calm down a little.

When Dark gave it some thought, it probably wasn't the best idea. After noticing that Ralis was obviously concerned about something and all, scaring him must've made his heart leap into his throat. Even if it was a harmless prank, the shadow did feel a little bad about it. He just couldn't help but wonder what Ralis had thought it was that had jumped out at him. It was annoying that he couldn't ask him and get a straight answer; it was so tempting to pester him until he spilled the beans but that could also make him very angry. Nope, that conversation was over for the day.

"Where's…?" Ralis looked around.

"If you're referring to Link, he's back building that fire with the lantern you left."

"You left him alone?"

"It's not like he can't take care of himself," He huffed, "Worst comes to worst, he can always just shoot it." Dark folded his arms.

"You're **really** mad about that," Ralis thought aloud.

"It's something to be mad about!" The shadow blurted out defensively. "It fuckin' hurt!"

"Will he ever live it down?"

"Probably," Dark sighed, "I'm not one to hold a grudge." He remembered that Link wasn't the only one who may have gotten overzealous. "How about you?" He waited long enough for Ralis to furrow his eyebrows, "Did I hurt you? During that uh… spar?"

"Spar?" The blonde raised a brow. "You kicked me around and held a blade to my neck."

Dark grimaced at that, "I'm sorry."

Ralis smiled and brushed it off, "It's fine. It wasn't the worst beating I've ever endured so…" No, after fighting acid spitting plants, mutant bugs, giant frogs and fish, a mad monster riding a rabid pig, animated skeletons, and a power-corrupted Yeti, he could definitely say that his fight with Dark Link was not the worst thing he'd gone through.

"Really?" Dark asked, "Then what would you say was your worst beating?"

"Why do you want to know that?"

"Eh, just curious."

Ralis had to stop and think for a while about his answer. The creatures he'd faced along his journey tended to get worse each time he progressed but it was still difficult to decide which one had hurt him the most before he'd managed to overcome it. There was the fight with Diababa, he'd never expected it to spit acid and wound up getting a few burns on his arm, it was just lucky that the acid wasn't too sour. The experience showed him early on that fairies not only heal so things don't scar too badly but they also liked mending clothing. After that came Fyrus, but he'd handled that with little incident. Then came Morpheel, the fish was intimidating what with trying to eat him but the Zora armor was more effective at protecting him than his regular tunic. The battle with Stallord was more fun than scary, and then there was Blizzeta. That fight was a bit of an ordeal, if only because he was trying not to hurt Yeta in the process of protecting himself. He came to realize that a lot of the time he'd had some trouble with the monsters guarding the item used to defeat the creatures deeper in the temple. "I guess it's a tie between getting run over and punched by an armored Goron and battered by a Darknut."

"What's a Darknut?" The shadow blinked.

"Hmm," Ralis scratched the back of his head, "It's a big, heavily armored knight that fights with a greatsword. You really want to dodge each strike of the sword unless you want to be cut in half but if you get too close it kicks you, right in the gut, really smarts."

"Yikes…" Dark grit his teeth, he could tell from the facial expression the boy made that he'd guessed right in saying he'd been through a lot. "Where did you come across one of those? Never heard of it."

The young hero was dumbstruck at the question, he hadn't been sure but apparently the enemies weren't all the same here as they were in his time. Now he'd mentioned something that might not have existed yet. "It was a chance encounter really, just bumped into it one day out near the border of the kingdom… Since I was just wandering around until recently." He hoped the story was convincing. It still wasn't a good idea to try and spill the time travel bit.

"Really? I thought you two were related, you look related, you said you were."

"We are related, I'm his… younger brother."

"So then why were you wandering around the kingdom until recently?" Dark asked. It seemed the more questions he threw at the boy the more shaky he got in answering.

"I was never aware that I even had a brother until a short while ago so, if I had to guess, we were probably separated at birth."

His answer was a perfectly logical explanation and yet Dark could tell he was lying. Ralis wasn't a very convincing storyteller. The shadow wasn't sure how he felt about getting lied to but he _did_ find a bright side to it. The fact that the young man had so much trouble with fabricating the truth showed that he was a very honest individual. And, inconvenient or not, he saw that as a good quality.

In the dark halls of the palace, Ganondorf was less than pleased with what he was now hearing from the Gerudo stationed at the ranch. "How is it that you, a trained warrior, failed to capture a bungling fool like this hero?"

"I apologize for my failure, my Lord," She answered solemnly, "But it seems I was unprepared for the task."

"What do you mean?" The man asked. "You were debriefed on your assignment."

"With all do respect, my Lord, my information told me of but one hero. My failure remains unacceptable but, was due to the presence of another."

The king leaned forward from where he sat before her, intrigued, "Another?"

**(A/N)** Sorry for multiple things. The most important being that this wasn't put up for a long time, it took me a ridiculously long time to figure out how to end it. The other is the message at the beginning. I really don't mean any insult by it. It's just annoying when people keep fixating on small details. Age was never going to be a prevalent factor in this story, much less detailed. I'll tell you now that the next chapter might not be up for about as long as this one took. I'm not in a Zelda mood, you see. And if I force it, it comes out really bad and boring. I just got fed up with myself for not finishing this one despite it being so close.


End file.
